Recently, a friend of mine was complaining about the number of scams she’s hit with on daily basis. I doubt there’s anyone who can say they don’t regularly receive suspicious phone calls from someone claiming to be with the IRS or emails from foreign “multi-millionaires” wanting to share their fortune with us. All we need to do is provide these people with our personal banking information which will either erase our debt or make us rich.
While these particular scams are relatively recent, deceiving people out of their hard-earned money has been around for centuries, if not since the dawn of civilization. What’s the old saying? If you believe that, I have a bridge in Brooklyn I can sell you.
Scams in the old West were no exception and abounded. Who hasn’t heard of The Lost Dutchman’s Mine—a popular legend here in Arizona where I live? One of the reasons the unproven story of the mine’s existence (to this day at least) gained such traction is because industrious scammers drew up and printed fake maps which they then sold to unsuspecting and gullible fortune hunters. Not only were wannabe prospectors sent on wild goose chases, many, sadly, met their deaths.
The Lost Dutchman’s Mine wasn’t the only scam of its kind during the days of gold fever. The practice of selling fake mining claims thrived. A common scheme called “salting” was used to dupe eager individuals looking strike it rich. Ore from a producing mine was scattered over a barren area. The soft ore would embed into the rock and give the appearance of a valuable claim. If done right, these salted areas often passed inspections by assayers but then, after the sale was complete, the poor buyer discovered no gold other than what the unscrupulous seller had scattered about.
Another old West scam was the origin of what eventually became a popular saying that still endures. I can remember my grandmother referring to a local real estate agent as no better than a snake oil salesman. And while she was using the term to refer to con men in general, a snake oil salesman is actually someone who proports to have a miracle cure. One of the first and most renowned snake oil salesmen was Clark Stanley, nicknamed the Rattlesnake King. While he claimed his tonic contained rattlesnake oil, it did not and was completely worthless. On a side note, Chinese laborers who came to the U.S. to work on the railroads did bring snake oil with them as an ancient medicinal treatment, which is likely where old Clark Stanley got the idea.
A different, popular scam along these same lines was the traveling medicine show which, if you think about it, was an early infomercial combining entertainment with hyped up sales techniques. These tonics, like Stanley’s snake oil, were worthless and made from common household items like castor oil, ginger, and alcohol. I did a bit of research, and there were several movies made featuring traveling medicine shows. Here’s just a few oldies but goodies:
Paradise Canyon with John Wayne
Sante Fe Marshal with William Boyd as Hopalong Cassidy
Riders of the Dawn, a musical western (I think I need to see this one)
Prairie Badmen with Buster Crabb
And the scams don’t end there. Really, there are just too many for me to list in detail. Land fraud was abundant with fake deeds being sold to families coming out West and desperate for a fresh start. Even the poor, noble horse, a necessity back then, was often used to separate the naïve and trusting from their money. A young and healthy horse was sold but an old, broken down nag was swapped out. There were crooks who cheated at poker with hidden cards (an Ace up the sleeve) and loaded dice. Gullible people were fleeced by shell games and other slight-of-hand tricks. And lets not forget the psychics who claimed to see the future or speak with deceased loved ones.
Sadly, there will probably always be disreputable individuals who find new and innovative ways to take advantage the easily influenced. The most we can do is be on the lookout. Remember that the next time someone tries to sell you some oceanfront property in Arizona 🙂
Warmest wishes,
Cathy McDavid
P.S. – don’t forget to check out of Facebook Reader Page at:
Petticoats & Pistols FB Readers Group
Cathy McDavid has been penning Westerns for Harlequin since 2005. With over 55 titles in print and 1.6 million-plus books sold, Cathy is also a member of the prestigious Romance Writers of America’s Honor Roll. This “almost” Arizona native and mother of grown twins is married to her own real-life sweetheart. After leaving the corporate world seven years ago, she now spends her days penning stories about good looking cowboys riding the range, busting broncs, and sweeping gals off their feet — oops, no. Make that winning the hearts of feisty, independent women who give the cowboys a run for their money. It a tough job, but she’s willing to make the sacrifice.
Welcome today. I had heard about scams from my mother and grandmother many times.
thanks for sharing about this article today.
Hi Lori,
Thanks for stopping by today and commenting 🙂 It’s amazing sometimes to think what people will fall for.
There was an advantage of being poor, you didn’t have enough money or assets to be able to buy a “claim”, medicine, or whatever. They might have wished they could advantage of the “deal”,but they could. That alone would have been a blessing.
That’s a good way to look at it, KariJean 🙂
If the deal sounds too good to be true it probably is, I get a lot of email from some people who claim to be lawyers for someone rich wanting to leave me money, lol, or a lot of get rich quick schemes
Yeah, Laura, I’ve gotten those emails, too. I guess some people must fall for the scam or the scammers would stop trying
Makes one think of the musical, *The Music Man*, too.
Definitely, there were a lot scams back then, and so many now. It’s scary how easily so many can be duped.
I hadn’t thought of The Music Man. I loved that movie as a kid 🙂
Weird to think of Old West scams compared to all the scamming going on online. Human nature doesn’t change, I guess, just the methodology. Thanks for an interesting article, Cathy.
Agreed, Nan. People don’t change. Not really 🙂
Very interesting article.
Thanks for stopping by, Barbara 🙂
Good afternoon , well, I think there has always been scammers and unfortunately there will always be scammers , sad how alot of people scam alot of vulnerable people, and all for the love of money. Thank you for sharing your article , we all need to be aware , if it sounds too good to be true, it isn’t so beware. Have a great day and a great weekend.
I remember years ago, my mom fell victim to a telephone scam. It’s sometimes hard to tell the crooks from the legit salespeople
I have had the phone call claiming my grandson needed help and so has my sister who lives nearly 3,000 miles from me. These scammers get around! It’s sad that we have to be so careful about responding to e-mails and phone calls. But, as you said scammers have been around forever. The electronics that make our lives easier also make it easier for them to pull their scams.
The moment something new is invented, Alice, the next minute thieves have figured out how to use it to their advantage.
Thanks for an interesting post. I know someone who almost fell for the Grandparent phone call scam. Fortunately, a smart bank teller at his bank asked why he needed such a big amount of money. He was told by the teller to call a relative and that’s when he found out that wasn’t his granddaughter on the phone earlier.
What’s scarier these days, Diana, is AI that can mimic someone’s voice, and the call can sound like it’s coming from a loved one
I don’t like scammers.
You are in good company, Bridgette
Now wait a minute! As soon as California falls off into the ocean, Arizona will be all beaches! ;o] (I often hang out in Bisbee.)
I should buy some land in Yuma in order to prepare 🙂 ha, ha, ha
I’m a trope reader marriage of convenience is my favorite if I want something I just switch genres.