^
Not all scams are short cons, where the operator grabs the money and runs.  Those are dumb scams, run by short-sighted goofballs who eventually wind up in prison.

A good scam, OTOH, is *indistinguishable from a failed business when it winds down*.  It's designed that way.  It takes longer, requires more planning, and the take is only a persentage of the gross money raised, but the operator has *nothing to worry about from teh law*.

Why must this be constantly repeated?