2. Gold Rush Grifters
The California Gold Rush lured thousands with dreams of instant wealth—but it was also a golden age for grifters. Conmen sold worthless mining claims and would “salt” land with gold dust, tricking hopeful prospectors into buying barren plots. Some hustlers even peddled fake maps to imaginary motherlodes, preying on desperation. The real gold was often found in these scams, not in the streams. Learn more about this era’s schemes at History: The Gold Rush.
