I'm sorry, I didn't want to refute your point, but I do believe that saying that "Income generating real estate is a recipe to hand your money over to scamsters" is too harsh and partially incorrect.
My father goes to his rental property maybe twice per year, so he most definitely isn't "there". He does have to keep it in mind, pay for repairs, and make some phone calls.
I believe that making money of rent is "earning every penny" because he put all his effort before in creating the capital, but, to make a comparison, he makes the same for his maybe one day a month (plus the initial capital) than I do for a month of work.
So I'd describe it as an "asset that makes money for you without you having to be there".
What?! How is that consistent with "invest in assets that make money for you without you having to be there"?
Obviously I'm snarking. The idea that you can generate money and do no work is fertile ground for self-help hucksters.
BTW: I've never met any landlord who ever believed that they weren't earning every penny, and who didn' have scars to show for it.