Folks each have their own "schtick," but it's what they are after that matters.

1) Money

2) Property

They want me to give them money or goods.

3) Prestige

They want me to feed a need for prestige. This can be as simple as agreeing with them in public, an endorsement or referral, or a requirement for some kind of submissive fawning.

I started to write up a detailed description of how this can happen, but realized that this is probably not the best venue for that. Suffice it to say that I have spent my entire adult life amongst some very aggressive and manipulative people, and keeping a good relationship with them, while gently enforcing personal boundaries, has always been a challenge.

For me, I have a personal ethical code that revolves around rigorous personal and "cash register" Honesty, as well as Integrity.