In the end, it's your money. So, the onus is on you to educate yourself about money.

A NY Times article -- "The 17th Floor, Where Wealth Went to Vanish" -- talks about a Ponzi scheme run by Bernard L. Madoff, which let to losses of around $50 billion for investors.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/15/business/15madoff.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&hp

Large banks and other firms entrusted their clients' money with Mr. Madoff: "Scrutiny is also falling on the many banks and money managers who helped steer clients to Mr. Madoff and now say they are among his victims."

It will be interesting to see what the investigation of Mr. Madoff unfolds, but there are three important lessons at the outset:

• Too many people, including wealthy people, lack financial literacy. They readily entrust their wealth to others, including large financial institutions, to manage it for them. If you work hard to make the money, you should work hard to preserve it. The onus is on you to educate yourself -- to gain financial literacy -- and to do due diligence about the people and institutions that are supposed to help you preserve and grow your money.
• If you don't gain financial literacy, you expose yourself and your friends to schemers.
• Don't trust all professionals! Professionals are made equal. Just because a professional has a degree or works for a large institution doesn't mean they have your best interest at heart.