We have a lot more information at our fingertips these days, and 25% of the country is convinced that Barack Obama was born in Kenya.
I feel like we're just running the cycle on this one, someone should put up a countdown to the next Enron and these investments being made illegal again.
In the 1930's - pre-Internet - people were more easily scammed by traveling salesmen selling oil wells and such.
We have a lot more information at our fingertips these days.