I think we now know the wisdom of sending money to a French guy who lives in Japan.

One thing to remember in all this: Bernie Madoff was honest and trustworthy for the first 55 years of his life.

Considering the warning signs it is pretty amazing so many people lost their money. The withdrawal limits on Mt. Cox were a glaring red flag. Legitimate organizations don't have "withdrawal limits". What if you went to your bank and they said, sorry you can only withdraw $1000 this week. When you see a withdrawal limit that is usually the precursor to coming back "next week" and finding a lock on the door.