Perhaps you need to pay attention, and to more credible sources than Netflix and YouTube, who sensationalize stories for broader appeal. Scamming is of course all over the place and I have actually saved some ladies from less affluent countries from the "advance fee scam" (thus getting insights from inside the scam) which is mainly perpetrated from West Africa (ie 419 scams). These target all ages of women on dating sites with promises of romance. Another popular 419 scam on dating sites is the "airport scam" where the villain pretends to travel to meet but gets "stuck in
immigration" (money demands ensues, no suitor will ever appear in reality, of course). These are usually low value scams, less than 200 USD (per transaction, a good target will pay several times). Old Western women are often targeted by bigger scams, as there is generally more money to be made from old Westerners.
As for not exculpating criminals: