How do you deal with desperation?

Hi, 40m here, ~16 months out of a 14-year marriage. I feel like I'm ready to put myself out there again, but recent events have made me realize that maybe I'm not.

TL;DR: I'm so desperate for connection that I will ignore all the red flags. How do I address this?

I got a "wrong number" text and immediately assumed scam, but because I'm lonely, I started chatting anyway. They said they were close to my age, sent me a pic, and we kept talking, and over several days we formed a strong connection. We had deep conversations about our dreams and all that. Deep down, I knew something wasn't right - little inconsistencies here and there - but I was willing to ignore them because I was so desperate for an emotional connection. I don't have any friends to speak of, and my coworkers are all way older than me, so I've felt very alone for a very long time. My brain chemicals wanted so badly for this to be real, and it felt good. It really did. Eventually, though, the inevitable scam came out when she asked me to invest in some company. This didn't really bother me; I knew from the start that this is how it would be, but I was so starved for attention and affection that I didn't care. But if this had been a real woman, I might have already found myself at a wedding altar, immediately filled with regrets. How do I address this?