The point of a scam is that you fall for it due to a moral failing not a lack of aptitude/stupidity. In a scam people use their own intellect to justify chasing after some appetite, so smarter people just convince themselves harder.

EA is a scam that uses "the ends justify the means" as the temptation, and that's why people are into it.

It's OK as an analogy but I don't think actual smart people are more likely to trick themselves.