Sometimes You'll get taken
Helping the poor has its risks. You will sometimes get taken. (The same is true of forgiveness. If you try to forgiven 70 times seven, you will sometimes get stepped on.) It's a darn shame. Be generous anyway. Don't be foolish, but don't overdo the safety rules.
It's like playing racquetball. You're going to get hit with the ball now and then, and it hurts. You can learn how to step out of the way of certain shots - but you are still going to get hit sometimes. The only way to avoid it is to stand in the corner and never get into the game.
If you are going to be generous to the poor, you are sometimes going to get taken. The only alternative is to "stand in the corner" and never really get into helping the poor.
Mental note: Learn to write off your losses.
- Little Black Book, Diocese of Saginaw