Let’s be honest — some people are getting rich doing things that look shady, sound fake, or feel like fraud… but they’re not. In fact, these hustles are 100% legal, clever, and borderline genius. Here’s how the game is played:
1. Selling “Secrets” Everyone Already Knows
Create an eBook, course, or consulting service that teaches people how to do things they could easily Google. Charge $99. Boom. That’s not fraud — that’s packaging. The trick? Presentation and perceived value. Dress it up with a slick landing page, throw in a fake countdown timer, and sprinkle some “limited offer” FOMO. You just sold common sense at a premium.
- Legal. Profitable. Feels illegal.
2. Dropshipping Without Touching a Thing
Buy cheap from China, slap on a logo, run Facebook ads targeting insecure teenagers or bored moms — congrats, you’re in eCommerce. You never see the product, it takes 4 weeks to arrive, but as long as you have a refund policy and semi-decent customer service, it’s legit.
Feels like a scam. Isn’t. Welcome to modern capitalism.
3. PR Hacking for Clout and Cash
Want to seem like an expert? Pay $300 for a press release to appear on Forbes India or Yahoo Finance with a headline like: “[Your Name], The Entrepreneur Revolutionizing Success in 2025.” Then use that “as seen on” badge to land clients or raise funds.
- Is it deceptive? A little.
- Is it illegal? Nope.
- Will it make people trust you more? Absolutely.
4. Renting Out Your Credit Score
There’s a whole underground economy where people with good credit “rent” their profiles by adding strangers as authorized users to boost their credit scores. It’s called piggybacking — and yes, it’s real.
- You’re not committing identity fraud.
- You’re helping someone temporarily inflate their credit.
- You get paid. They get a loan. Everyone wins (unless it tanks later).
5. Influencer Affiliate Schemes (Repackaged MLMs)
Convince your followers to buy products using your link. The company pays you a commission. Now, invite others to be “ambassadors,” and earn a cut of their sales too. Sounds like a pyramid? Yes. Is it a pyramid scheme? Not if there’s a real product and no upfront fees.
- Hustle hard, post harder — but don’t confuse influence with integrity.
Final Thought:
You don’t need to break laws to bend perceptions. In a world fueled by attention, confidence, and good marketing, being a legal fraudster is just being a clever capitalist.
Just make sure you’re not lying — just hyping creatively.
