There’s no shortage of online ways to make money, but many are bogus or at least borderline illegal. Some examples include taking out business loans to start a company, which can saddle you with debt, or investing in a company and then giving up control of the venture. Other methods, like “bank hopping,” involve moving your savings between different banks to reap sizeable bonuses, but doing so can be risky and could trigger suspicious bank alerts.
In addition, some online activities are actually considered criminal, like using fake IDs to access child pornography or other explicit content. Additionally, it’s illegal to share someone else’s personal information without their knowledge and consent — including their address, passwords, or photos — in order to harm them, a practice known as doxxing. Harassing or stalking people online is also illegal.
If you’re a bargain hunter with a good eye, it might be possible to turn a profit on thrift store finds or even limited-edition clothing by reselling them on sites like Poshmark. Some savvy shoppers claim to earn $5,000 a month or more this way.
Similarly, it’s possible to get a business off the ground without ever spending a dime of your own cash through crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter or Indiegogo. It’s a great way to test your idea, but it’s important to remember that even these types of funding can still take significant time and effort before you see any return on investment.