This is about the piece in the Cut by the woman who got scammed, but it's also about practically every case you'll ever hear about that involved someone confessing to a crime they had nothing to do with.
If someone tells you not to call a lawyer, you should probably immediately call a lawyer.
"If you call a lawyer, we can't help you anymore. You're facing serious charges" was in this case part of a classic scam from criminals, but it is also something that cops will tell you AND IS ALSO ABSOLUTE BULLSHIT.
There are probably situations where you shouldn't call a lawyer, but they're more in the category of, "nah, just file in small claims court, a lawyer would cost more than what you'll get in damages." If you're in trouble and think you need a lawyer, you should call one.
This woman didn't actually need a lawyer for criminal defense purposes because she was not actually in trouble. She just needed a lawyer because a lawyer could have told her that she wasn't talking to the CIA, she was talking to a scammer.
Also, she did not need a lawyer to tell her she was not on the phone with the CIA demanding she put all her cash in a shoebox, she needed literally anyone! Anyone at all! Once she'd said it out loud to another person, the look on their face would have broken the spell!
It's an incredibly effective spell. I know people who were scammed and they all realised almost as soon as the scam was complete. Handing over the money basically broke the spell and they spent a few minutes trying to rationalize that they couldn't have fallen for it, but... they did.
