5. The Land Speculation Swindle
As the West expanded, land speculation scams became rampant. Unscrupulous speculators sold plots that were uninhabitable, already owned, or even imaginary. Fake deeds were common, and many victims discovered too late that their property was a fraud—by then, the conmen had vanished with their money. These widespread scams eroded trust and eventually led to the creation of official land offices. Discover more at National Archives: Land Records.
