The Archive
Every story on the porch
Browse by category, or search for a name you half-remember.
Street classic — 1900s to today
THE PIGEON DROP
"A stranger 'finds' a wallet or envelope stuffed with cash and offers to split it — right after you put up a little 'good faith' money of your own."
c. 1580 – present
THE SPANISH PRISONER
"A wealthy stranger writes from a foreign jail, begging a small favor to unlock a great fortune. Four centuries later, the same letter still arrives — now by email."
1980s – present
THE NIGERIAN PRINCE (419 SCAM)
"A foreign official needs help moving millions and promises a generous cut — but every step forward requires another 'fee' from you."
Ancient Greece – street corners today
THE SHELL GAME
"Three cups, one ball, and the promise of easy money. The ball is palmed before your eyes and the crowd cheering you on is in on it."
1900s – immortalized in 'The Sting'
THE WIRE CON
"A fake betting parlor with rigged race results lets the mark 'win' a few times — until one enormous bet on the wrong horse takes everything."
Timeless — every community, every era
AFFINITY FRAUD
"A scammer joins your church, your culture, or your circle — and once trusted, sells the group a fake investment tailored to your shared values."
1990s – present
PHISHING
"A convincing email or text imitates your bank, your job, or a service you use — and quietly hands your login to a stranger."
1920s boiler rooms – today's crypto chats
PUMP AND DUMP
"Insiders quietly load up on a cheap stock, then hype it everywhere. Once regular investors pile in, the insiders dump — and the price collapses."
Postal era – online today
THE ROMANCE SCAM
"A charming stranger appears online, builds a slow, devoted relationship, and eventually starts asking for money to solve one emergency after another."
Late 20th century – present
THE LOTTERY SCAM
"You've won a fortune in a lottery you never entered. All you have to do to collect is pay the taxes and fees first — over and over."
Every disaster, every era
THE CHARITY SCAM
"Fake nonprofits appear after hurricanes, wildfires, or wars — pocketing donations meant for the people on the news."
2000s – present, sharper every year
THE GRANDPARENT SCAM
"The phone rings at dawn. A frightened voice says 'Grandma, it's me — I'm in jail, please don't tell Mom.' Wire the bail before you can breathe."
Post-Civil War America – early 1900s
THE GREEN GOODS GAME
"Marks were lured to a back room to buy 'counterfeit' bills so perfect they'd fool any bank. Then the swindler swapped the sample crate for one full of newspaper before the mark could count."
Postwar suburbia – present
THE UTILITY WORKER SCAM
"A friendly man in a hard hat says there's a gas leak — or a water problem — and needs inside your home. While he distracts you at the basement, a partner slips upstairs and cleans out the jewelry drawer."
Street classic — 1900s to today
THE MELON DROP
"A grifter deliberately bumps into a tourist, drops a cheap piece of fruit, and shouts that a priceless family heirloom has shattered. The frightened mark pays 'damages' on the spot."
Long-con era — immortalized on film
THE MATCHSTICK MEN
"Two polished grifters run a slow, patient long con — a fake investment, a fake friendship, a fake future. By the time the mark realizes, the men have vanished like a struck match."