And at some point you may have met a couple from your own hometown, and you thought, Oh, my God, these people are so warm. They're so nice to me.

MacGregor's promises, such as that the natives were friendly, the land was incredibly fertile, and gold was abundant, seemed too good to be true, but he still managed to fool seasoned army officers, doctors and a banker.

They apparently assumed that the rest of Europe would overlook continuing high deficits, and that, as eurozone members, the market would consider their debt to be just like German bunds, though issued by friendly and welcoming people in an agreeable climate, and with a glass of ouzo on the side.