Mark Kerpeles, a public figure scammed people for half a billion dollars worth of bitcoin. It took him more than 3 years to achieve that goal. People were raising red flags all along eventhough this seemed like a legitimate business for all these years. The majority of people trusted their assets to him. Don't you think that some kid with lots of free time wouldn't try the same? Not on the same scale, but the inspiration is right there. It doesn't take much to convince people.