19 Illegal Side Hustles You Should Never Try – All You Need to Know

Last updated on September 21st, 2024 at 10:28 am

 

Are you among the many who search for Illegal side hustles that make money fast? Or you just found yourself right here reading this article just because you came across its interesting lines.

And whether you want to start a side hustle this will also help you tell the extent to which it turns out to be illegal. Making money on the side is one of the best ways you can supplement your income.

Therefore, there are also various ways in which you can do it without breaking the law. And there are different ways one can go through to make money fast on the side illegally knowingly or unknowingly.

Think about illegal side hustles like shoplifting being one of those you intend to take on. It’s hard to get someone to give you the go-ahead to get started with the side hustle because it’s risky.

But can’t also deny the fact that there are people that support it as in Jeremy Mercer’s lines. Yes, you need a side income but taking illegal steps can’t be the best way to go about it.

So, please ensure that you don’t end into illegal practices that may even make that legal side hustle illegal. Since I like making money on the side I can’t fail to write about illegal ways to make money to open up your mind for the best.

The Term Illegal Side Hustle?

This is work on the side that earns you some extra income yet is against the law apart from your day job or 9 to 5 job. Such side hustles are taken up to diversify income streams to increase earnings.

Some people end up the wrong way with illegal money-making forums but there are better ways to diversify your income. And now let’s look at work on the side that’s top list among those that are against the law.

Top List Illegal Side Hustles You Should Never Try!

1. Embezzle Funds

This is where you’re entrusted with the money of an entity but then divert it to other things for your benefit. Misuse of funds nowadays it’s a common practice in almost every organization that’s private or public.

Some people consider this a side hustle even before they get assigned to work, it’s part of the forward. Banks and other financial institutions are immediate victims of such circumstances that’s why they put in place strict measures.

People who embezzle funds know what they’re doing and hence tend to act smart in their dealings. What’s funny with this practice is that you don’t take the money at once but the figures keep on accumulating.

This puts you in danger in the end because you won’t be able to account for the money lost in payments or purchases.

Embezzlement also known as shrinkage according to the National Retail Federation (NRF) accounts for 1.5% of retail sales. And about the national retail security survey that was done in 2019 shows it costs about $50 billion.

2. Reselling Tickets

Many people make a lot of money from reselling tickets as a side hustle business these days. And by doing this ticket charges are made to be higher than the actual charges.

This is currently not acceptable by the law due to the exploitation of ticket buyers in the process. It’s therefore illegal in most parts of the world and you can be charged for reselling tickets at prices higher than their face value.

I don’t know about your location but different regulations apply to different locations. So, before you get into such a business you have to think twice before you act.

In countries like the United States of America, Canada, And the United Kingdom you can’t escape charges for such activities. If you don’t want to end it all in court with fines on you, better stay away from reselling tickets to be at peace.

And people in this business are doing their best to survive hence employing all possible means. But also, the laws are always being streamlined to ensure that there are no loopholes left at all.

3. Ransomware

Another dirty side hustle is ransomware, Hackers are earning a living encrypting people’s files and entities using malware every day. And they’re paid for their efforts input in recovering information they intentionally encrypted.

Technology is growing at a high speed every day that goes by worldwide. It’s hard to escape the disadvantages that come along in case you’re using technology.

People in the digital industry with competence like hackers look for ways to make a living even on the dark side of the hustle.

This ransomware gig is more so targeting organizations and any other smaller money-making entities that can pay. But although it can earn you a lot of money, you’ll face charges at one time for the practice since it’s illegal.

4. Freelance Writing

Do you know that freelance writing can be an illegal side hustle? I guess some don’t know about this but to an extent, it can put you in danger in the shortest time.

Most of us started with freelance writing gigs and made some good money out of it. It’s a kind of work-from-home job that any computer literate can undertake to earn an income.

Back on point, there are some subjects which may be considered illegal just in case you write about them. And that’s why you need to always double-check about a certain topic that you’re going to write on to be safe.

The expulsion of a 15-year-old student in California who wrote a poem about Brian Robertson’s story was detained for 100 days for example. Taking note of any legal implications about any topic you intend to go for is important.

Some of the areas that make money fast but easily bring about legal issues include politics, health, and money. So, you must understand the best way that you can go about them to avoid working against the law.

5. Bank Robbery

This is one of the riskiest and most unsuccessful illegal side hustles that you can take on. Apart from being risky and unsuccessful, you don’t expect to make much out of this gig though it pays fast.

And research shows that ever since 2010 the earnings on bank robberies are decreasing on average. Bank robberies way back in 2010 paid an average price of $7500 and this figure has dropped to $4330 in 2020.

I don’t recommend taking on such a side hustle but in case you want more on how to do it click here. In an Ask Me Anything on Reddit the user narrated how he successfully made several bank robberies.

And guess what, he was never armed as he said in his words, true story. But he only gave in a paper indicating and instructing the teller to be given the money he wanted.

As a way to avoid huge costs according to tellers such simple bank robberies were always a success. If you’re planning to get on with this illegal side hustle to make money fast just know it’s very risky.

6. Breeding Puppies

You can plan to start making some money on the side breeding puppies for sale. In the United States due to some natural concerns, strict laws are coming up every time about this activity.

Some states have strictly come up with laws in place that limit the sale of dogs in pet stores. These include Maryland and New York as a way to reduce supply.

Though the impact of such laws in place is very much felt by pet stores, the target is on puppy mills. Therefore, when pet stores fail in business even the puppy mills won’t be supported.

So, watch out for starting a puppy mill business it’s under strict measures in most states. Or you may end up being charged for illegal practices about breeding puppies.

It would then be wise to take on other legit side hustles that can earn you a side income than breeding puppies.

7. Reselling E-Books

It’s one of the easiest ways to make money fast illegally without much hustle. And really, it’s a growing business since technology has made it all simpler than way back.

People make money re-selling E-books that are not theirs related to topics like finance, health, fitness, and other fields that pay. With information all over the internet, many are making money this way by just browsing the internet.

Then get access to whichever information they might be interested in to look out for that area of interest or a book. In case the book is gotten, it’s downloaded and then worked on somehow to be put on sites like Amazon.

The price attached to such a product is reduced in price compared to its original price. But some are sold yet they are not meant to be sold according to the author, it’s illegal.

However, in most cases when the owner notices that practice such content is disqualified to avoid any negative outcomes.

8. Ponzi Scheme

This is a fraud that involves engaging people and assuring them of huge profits when they invest in a scheme. But the so-called profits paid out to some old investors its money invested by new investors.

It takes time for investors to realize that the profits earned are not from an actual investment. The person in charge keeps on playing his cards right to ensure that stays in the game but it’s hard to last.

The oldest type of Ponzi scheme happened in the early 1920s started by charles Ponzi in the United States. He made it clear to the investors that when they invest their money in postage stamps they will get 50% in 1½ months.

Who doesn’t want to make a profit that big? Many investors complied.

Investors gave in their money hurriedly to be part of the money-making machine invented by Ponzi. And this Ponzi scheme is among the largest and most successful frauds in history.

He could make up to $ 3 million every day in today’s money living a high life. The investors also came to understand that this was a scam after a while until the scheme failed.

There are also other schemes of the same kind related to Ponzi’s like Bernie Madoff’s in 2008 with a $64.8 billion cost considered to be the greatest ever.

9. Selling Counterfeit Goods

One of the largest illegal side hustles that can make you money fast is selling counterfeit goods. It’s a huge industry worth $1.7 trillion and is expected to double in case the government doesn’t put in more effort.

Counterfeiting targets items that are so much under public consumption like fashion accessories from brands such as Nike. Since it’s a big industry there are different areas of business into which to tap to make a profit.

All you need to have is just the skill to come up with a copy that matches the original copy. This side hustle is illegal it might put you in danger at any one time yet there are legit businesses that you can do.

10. Pocket Picking

This is where you have to keep your eyes open all the time to grab people’s money and other things of value. To earn this way, you have to keep around people with at least some money and other valuables to get away with.

The side hustle requires support and that’s why you don’t have to be alone. You need to connect with people in the same line of business to help you out or guide you where necessary.

This is because it’s hard to succeed all the time, at times you’ll get in danger and you need backup. Some people in the streets know every corner and how pocket-picking works that’s why it’s hard to get away with their things.

You can succeed in getting some little money pocket picking though it’s an illegal side hustle. But as long as you go by the street rules it’s another way you can make money fast and cheaply.

However, there are legal and illegal side hustles through which you can make money fast. The choice is on you to decide whether to go the illegal or legal way but of course, legal means are most effective.

11. Catfishing

It’s a deceptive activity that involves forming an unclear personality on a social networking platform or website targeting certain victims (Wikipedia)

Catfishing practices are mostly done on dating platforms to get money from people who are desperately looking for loved ones. And in dating, you can talk to someone to give you money to use to travel to meet yet you’re not going to do it.

Making money catfishing is also a growing illegal side hustle due to technological advancement. Technology is used by people to strongly hide their identity and also build more online platforms to commit fraud.

Many people complain about such scams and fraud happening to them the same way. A lot of money is lost this way to scammers though, there are some legit sites you can’t deny it.

But instead of hustling illegally, there are also legal side hustles that can make you hundreds and thousands of dollars. Despite how much you want to earn, the best way you can do it is to hustle legally.

12. Pyramid Schemes

You can make money through pyramid schemes in a way that whoever pays to join the program earns. But this takes some effort because people have to believe what you’re preaching to them.

And the money you make is gotten from the people who accept to pay to join you. Also, the people you brought into the program must look for their people to earn too.

If you can play at people’s minds this way then you can make money fast but just know that it won’t last. Currently, many of us are very aware of such kinds of business since a lot of people have been scammed in this way.

What do you think now, making money through pyramid schemes or investing in equities?

13. Prostitution

This is done by some people full time whereas others do it part-time to earn a living. It has been around for decades whereby in some areas it’s legal though others consider it as an illegal practice.

Prostitution can’t easily be wiped out even in places where it’s not legalized there’s huge demand. There’s a lot of money to be made here in case you want to make money fast where it’s illegal.

Yes, it’s paying but also on the side of health, you’re risking too since you’re not aware of the client’s status. At any time, you might also get charged mostly in places where it’s not acceptable, and either serve in jail or be fined.

Like any other business, to make money you must have the skills to sell to keep in business. This line of work also has high earners and low earners depending on the marketing strategies used.

High earners charge around $200 to $300 per hour with an online strategy whereas low earners on the streets charge $15 to $20 for 30min or less. Though prostitution is an illegal side hustle in most places, prostitutes are also trying their best to ensure that they get recognition.

14. Selling Drugs

It’s an illegal side hustle that really can make money fast but it can’t last for long since you may at any time end up behind bars. People like Pablo Escobar made a ton of money hustling this way and could raise $22 billion in a year.

For sure it’s crazy money that’s why he even ended up burning $2 million cash to warm his family. Put yourself in his shoes when you’re earning over $1.8 million per month what your actions would be like?

The drug dealer made some good money just selling drugs but had no peace of mind at all. Though more money more problems shouldn’t come this way while feeding on grass.

Most illegal drug businesses don’t last simply because it’s hard to fully make good use of the money due to strict government policies.

It’s on record that Escobar lost a lot of money just due to poor storage facilities, estimated to be over $2 billion as stated by his financial expert.

In case you’re planning to take this short path, I wish you success throughout. But it’s better to use the safest path though it could take quite a long time to reach your destination.

15. Pimping

If you want to up the game of prostitution the best path to take should be handling prostitutes as a business. It’s an illegal side hustle though but needs you to get out there to go get those money-making pretty looks.

Most times people that start the pimp side hustle end up dropping the main job to full-time pimping business.

Urban Institute in its study shows that an average pimp pockets between $5000 to $30000 per week. One of the best pimps I know is Iceberg Slim, he managed between 300 to 400 women in his business.

Slim made a lot of money doing just this though he had some other business too on the side. The side hustle requires you to invest some time and money necessary to get returns.

16. Growing Cannabis

Cannabis can be grown either legally or illegally depending on the path you want to take. In the United States of America, there are laws regulating people that grow it at a scale.

It’s a kind of business that can make you some good money fast in case you do have an interest in pursuing it. But also, if you want to go the illegal way you can try it out to make some money but you won’t grow steadily.

And it’s risky growing cannabis without being licensed you may get fined or find yourself in jail. Want to make money growing cannabis? Then use the right path other than breaking the law.

17. Credit Card Skimming

People use skimming machines and illegally get money from clients’ credit or debit cards. This happens in most cases when a wait staff takes away your card in the process of paying the bill.

But in some countries like the United States card readers are now meant to be used in your presence to avoid the illegal practice. However, there are other places where your card is taken away from your presence to charge a bill.

So, in case you want to make money this way you just keep it up but not in the United States. As said in the United States your skimming machine won’t help you at all due to strict measures.

I also prefer the fact that the card is not used away from your sight and everything is done in your presence. Am not yet done, credit card skimming can also be done at the ATMs.

18. Counting Cards

Normally the casino always has an edge over the player in business at any time. But it’s also possible for the player to have a mathematical advantage over the house when he learns to count cards right.

This is not an illegal practice however, it’s highly frowned upon. You can start to learn counting cards with best practices to increase your chances of beating the house.

The idea of counting cards can make you some pretty good money without much hustle in case you have the skill.

19. Sports Betting

When you place a bet from a place that’s not regulated and licensed just know you’re breaking the law. Almost in every country, all betting places must be recognized by the government but some work outside the law yet it helps to streamline their operations.

You won’t make money steadily in sports betting since it’s not easy beating the book. And as a beginner, needs time to skillfully start making some good money whereas some experts are making a killing surely.

Therefore, you could be making some money placing bets at unlicensed places for some time but it’s illegal.

Final Thoughts

Illegal side hustles are making some good money for people out there but the problem is they’re short-lived. And every day that goes by there are new illegal gigs of a kind that come up it’s all up to you to make a choice.

But the more you involve yourself in such activities the more you risk your life while breaking the law. Taking on legit side hustles is the best way to make money fast and it’s good now you know about the dark side too.