Scam trivia: Disappearing Act, the oldest scam
The Disappearing Act became a popular scam around the 1880s. A team of two women and one man…
Scam trivia: Man of the Cloth, the oldest scam
It’s quite normal in the 20th century for criminals to impersonate another person for self-gain. For instance, there…
Scam trivia: Horse Trading, the oldest scam
In the 1800s, horses were more than just a majestic animal. They were used for war, transportation, farm…
Scam trivia: Fake Lottery Winnings, the oldest scam
Everyone has dreams of winning the lottery so they can live a carefree life of luxury. The first…
Scam trivia: Inheritance Notices of the oldest scam
It’s quite rare for someone to have a distant relative they never heard of leave them a large…
Scam trivia: Job Offers of the longest scam
People who are looking for jobs are often hopeful and naive. Currently, there are almost as many scams…
Scam trivia: Romance Scams of the oldest scam
Romance scams don’t just hurt a person financially but emotionally as well. Victims of romantic scams are led…
Scam trivia: Financial Legal Help of the oldest scam
Financial legal scams too often go unnoticed, and worse, unreported. They can be difficult to prosecute so they…
Scam trivia: Salting the Mine, the oldest scam
Salting a mine was a popular scam during the gold rush. Scammers would plant a precious gem or…
Scam trivia: Grandparent Scam, the oldest scam
For centuries, the older generation has been preyed on by criminals. The grandparent scam is one of the…
Scam trivia: Fortune-Telling Fraud, the oldest scam
Some people may argue that all fortune-telling services are a scam. The modern fortune-telling fraud uses cold-reading skills…
Scam trivia: Green Goods, the oldest scam
The United States saw an influx of counterfeit money during the 19th century. Historic researchers later dubbed this…
Scam trivia: Bogus Dry-Cleaning Bill Scam, the oldest scam
Dry-cleaning services grew in popularity in the early 1930s due to a petroleum shortage during World War II.…
Scam trivia: Mail Fraud, the oldest scam
The United States has been fighting against mail crime for hundreds of years. In 1792, Congress imposed the…
Scam trivia: Pyramid Schemes of the oldest scam
Charles Ponzi became famous in the 1920s for his money-making schemes. It originated in Boston, Massachusetts and quickly…
Scam trivia: Strip Club Scam of the oldest scam
A strip club or “clip joint” scam has been going on for the past century. The establishment usually…
Scam trivia: Fraudulent Collection Agencies of the oldest scam
Over nine million Americans have their identities stolen each year. Fraudulent collection agencies are illegal organizations known for…
Scam trivia: Three-Card Monte, the oldest scam
The infamous card game, three-card monte, became widely popular on riverboats and railroads in the late 1830s. Wherever…
Scam trivia: Coin-Matching Game of the oldest scam
The coin-matching game can be found in most casinos throughout the world. While this game can be played…
Scam trivia: Real Estate Fraud, the oldest scam
People often spend a good portion of their lives saving up to buy a house of their own.…
Scam trivia: Mortgages of the oldest scam
A home is often a family’s most valuable asset. Scammers take this into consideration when thinking of the…
Scam trivia: Anti-Aging Products of the oldest scam
For the last century, society has put an enormous emphasis on physical appearance, so much so that people…
Scam trivia: Investments of the oldest scam
Although many people plan for retirement, a lot of people don’t properly manage their savings after they finish…
Scam trivia: Internet Fraud of the oldest scam
The modern Internet we know today was developed in 1971. However, it did not become available to consumers…