1. Counterfeiting
Annual revenue: $1.6 trillion
Counterfeiting is definitely not what you have expected to see in the first place of our list of 10 most profitable crimes to commit. Or perhaps you’re wondering about counterfeiting meaning? It means “made to look like the original of something, usually for dishonest or illegal purposes.” As for the insane revenue, you must be wondering: is that even a number? How is that possible? Well, it’s pretty obvious, actually. How much fraudulent goods or items have you seen or bought in your life? Leather bags, clothes, perfumes, cosmetics… All of these are sold in developing countries at high or moderate prices. Some countries such as China, Russia, Malaysia and the Philippines have become real experts in manufacturing fakes. However, clothes and accessories aren’t the main sources of income. The money lies in producing fake pharmaceuticals, and they’re the reason why counterfeiting is in the first place. $200 billion is how much they are contributing to the overall business. Electronics are a close runner-up considering the amount of damage in the global market.
