Among the alleged baits recently used to separate unwary investors from their funds: film deals, 19th-century railroad bonds, gold mines, iron mines, equipment leases, "medium-term notes, " greeting card manufacturing, a board game teaching investors how to get wealthy and even Mormon church financings.

FORBES: Fraud per capita

In a sense, salt is merely reasserting its historic role as a medium of value: Ancient Chinese economies were based on it (and iron).

FORBES: Salt Chic