10 Strange But Legal Money Moves That People Are Doing

In our capitalist world, making money is essential to survival. But some of the jobs out there are sketchy at best and downright immoral at most, and to top it off, they’re all legal. A popular online forum user wonders what jobs exist that many find tasteless. From scalping to multi-level marketing, these money-making schemes are technically legal, but most people see them as utterly disgusting.

1. Scalping

Man with toilet paper rolls — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Scalping is a buying-for-resale method that relies on scrounging for deals and reselling products at a much higher price to make a profit. This can range from slightly immoral, like acquiring items for free and selling them, to purely evil, like hoarding toilet paper during the COVID pandemic and selling roles for record high prices. Either way, many believe the practice is exploitative.

2. Payday Loans

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A payday loan is a short-term loan with a massive interest rate that typically targets poor people and keeps them in a cycle of poverty. It’s predatory to “Kick people with massive interest rates when they are already low on money and are desperate enough to get such a loan,” claims one user.

3. Private Prisons

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In the U.S., private prisons are legal, turning prisoners into laborers who make little to no money for their work. That allows the prison industry to rake in massive profits for the higher-ups. People on the thread are shocked to learn that this practice isn’t just legal but commonplace in the U.S.

4. Greedy Pharmaceutical Companies

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Pharmaceutical companies can make tons of money off life-saving medications because we don’t have public health care in the U.S. One example of this is when pharmaceutical companies own the patent for medication and jack up the prices to bring in more money. But commenters claim this practice exploits sick and disabled people.

5. Multi-Level Marketing

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While pyramid schemes are illegal in the U.S., some multi-level marketing companies are permitted. While many believe hopping into an MLM can get them rich quickly, respondents on the forum argue that only those at the very top of an MLM company rake in the cash.

6. Paparazzi

After what happened to Britney Spears in the early 2000s, many people believe the paparazzi hurt people. These photographers expose celebrity’s private moments for financial gain, which makes many respondents feel sick to their stomachs.

7. Gambling

While hitting the casino occasionally can be a fun outing, relying on gambling as your sole source of income isn’t sustainable. However, commenters agree that the gamblers themselves aren’t the problem, but the predatory practices of casinos that suck people into their traps and legally steal all their money are.

8. Predatory Sales

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The internet crawls with scammers looking to make a quick buck by exploiting people with little resources. One example of a legal predatory sales tactic is when companies have representative cold-call older adults to convince them they need to invest in a particular supplement that they probably don’t need. It’s taking advantage of vulnerable people when it comes down to it.

9. Family Influencers

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Many individuals feel uneasy seeing mom influencers on YouTube or TikTok flaunting their kids online to get views. Many children who grew up in the social media spotlight speak out when they get old enough and share how they felt forced into the role of breadwinner for their family while their parents broadcast their lives for the world to see.

10. Tobacco Industry

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Some people in the comments believe anyone who works for big tobacco has an immoral career. It’s no secret anymore that smoking causes cancer and is debilitatingly addictive. So why are tobacco companies allowed to post advertisements in many U.S. states?