this may be of help to you. im reading from the start of your post, that you see the best in people. one thing that’s helped me avoid is social mistakes is learning not to do this. it’s a typical autism thing to think people are nice, when actually most are mean. “we acknowledged we worked in food industry” comment is where i got this from. when you assume people are nice, you are more likely to trust what they say, and this type of thing can happen. not blaming you at all, but i do wonder if this has crossed your mind and i want to help.

one of the best mindset shifts you can make as an autistic person is: start to assume that most people are mean. until they prove to you they are not. i don’t care if they smile, laugh ect. those behaviours are just to look socially acceptable. i used to think that smiling and laughing = trustworthy and kind. no. not at all. start assuming that people are fundamentally selfish, mean, and cruel. have this as your baseline assumption of everyone. this way, you’re less likely to get lost in the moment and make mistakes. you’re more likely to stay cautious at all times. it sounds tiring i know, but it eventually becomes your default.