Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Share The Best Examples Of A Victimless Crime

People Share The Best Examples Of A Victimless Crime

A photo of handcuffed hands reaching upward

Photo by niu niu on Unsplash

There are so many layers to crime, so many levels.

Are there crimes that aren't really crimes?

We're not talking about murder here, but what about jaywalking?

If there is no victim, does it count?

There are also quite a few local laws that don't quite make sense.

Should those count as a true crime especially if they get repealed when people find out about them?


One Redditor wanted to discuss the ways we end up in trouble with the law without a body, so they asked:
"What’s the best example of a victimless crime?"

I'm probably guilty of everything we're about to talk about.

GO!

Yelling The Goldbergs GIF by ABC NetworkGiphy

"Eh... I jaywalk and don’t care. As long as no cars are coming I just go."

IHateMath14

Get a Handbook

"Piracy of Adobe Photoshop and other Adobe products."

"I've read that Adobe just allows it to happen, because it means that the young generation of designers and creatives get trained on the software as kids/students, and then when they're at work in the real world the companies that actually have to pay for whatever they use have to buy it, because Adobe products are what people are familiar with."

Reddit

Just Us

"Prostitution."

"If two adults want to have sex it's 100% fine. But if two adults want to have sex for money it's 100% illegal. It's just a moral thing not a logical thing. Think of all the tax money they could get from it."

Prestigious_Water336

When in Michigan

"Up until a few years ago it was illegal in Michigan to leave your car idling and unoccupied, even on private property. The law was in place to discourage auto theft. But practically everyone does it on winter mornings to warm up their cars. I'd never heard of it being enforced until a few years back when a guy got ticketed for having his car running in his own driveway. Most people were surprised to find out that there was even a law about it. It was repealed soon after."

President_Calhoun

Nonsense

Hungry Full House GIFGiphy

"Apparently saving food that was going to be thrown away. Feeding the homeless."

A_Bowler_Hat

How is it a crime to feed needy people? Insane.

Potentials

Tell Me More Jeff Goldblum GIF by National Geographic ChannelGiphy

"Pretty much breaking any laws that are meant to prevent injury or harm. i.e. not wearing a seatbelt. speeding, jaywalking, carrying a firearm in public etc. The are only potential victims, but no actual victims yet."

Sufficient_Focus

On Her Own...

"When the school called me because my kid was smart enough to buy a 20 dollar bag of candy, and start nickel and diming it for a profit to other students.

"The whole economic system is based on this very principle. My 7th grader figured out how to make a buck. On her own."

"I insisted on entering the science fair using this scenario as a social experiment. She's thinking about it."

Junior_Interview5711

Zoned Out

"A lot of zoning violations that are more about aesthetics such as having unregistered cars in your yard, not painting your house a certain color, too many or not enough plants, other stupid things that aren't hurting anything other than your nosy neighbor's feelings."

"I agree with zoning for health and safety. But just for showiness, it's not hurting anything. If they don't like my house and yard don't look. Mind your own business."

llcucf80

Simple Stuff

Bored Paul Rudd GIFGiphy

Mere possession of pretty much anything. If something is considered dangerous/bad, the crime lies in how it’s used, not simply possessing it."

lawontheside

Well, these really were some interesting cases.

Do you have any other victimless crimes you'd like to pose? Let us know in the comments.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

James Talarico
Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images

GOP Strategist Tries To Smear James Talarico With One Of His Old Facebook Posts—And It Backfires Spectacularly

Texas state Representative James Talarico is the Democratic nominee for Texas Senator John Cornyn's seat in the 2026 midterm elections. His Republican opponent will be decided between the incumbent Cornyn and controversial, scandal-ridden Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton after a run-off slated for May 26.

Talarico has been part of his home state's legislature since 2018. Before that, he was a middle-school English teacher and an executive director for a Texas nonprofit focused on bringing technology to low-income classrooms.

Keep ReadingShow less
Callista Gingrich
Vatican Pool - Corbis/Getty Images

Trump Ambassador Dragged After Seemingly Facetuning Herself In Official Government Video

Callista Gingrich, the U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein and wife to former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich, was criticized after she appeared to Facetune herself in an official government video marking the SelectUSA Investment Summit.

The 2026 SelectUSA Investment Summit will be held in National Harbor, Maryland, from May 3–6, and offers opportunities for companies, investors, economic development organizations, and industry experts to network and invest in the United States.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Donald Trump
@Acyn/X

Trump Rips Himself With Self-Own For The Ages In Push For Presidential Cognitive Exams

President Donald Trump told on himself after he explained why he thinks prospective presidential candidates should be required to take cognitive exams—seemingly oblivious to all the concerns about his own cognitive decline.

Trump was discussing his administration's pledge that Social Security benefits would be tax-free in an appearance before senior citizens at The Villages, a prominent Florida retirement community, when he made the claim.

Keep ReadingShow less
Hilary Duff
TheStewartofNY/FilmMagic/Getty Images

Hilary Duff Shares Simple Yet Powerful Mantra Amid Worrying Weight Loss Trends—And Fans Are Applauding

Content Warning: Body-Shaming, Weight-Shaming, Body Image Issues, Eating Disorders, Skinny Trends

Millennials who saw Cheaper by the Dozen, The Perfect Man, and A Cinderella Story have always known that Hilary Duff was that girl.

Keep ReadingShow less
Jimmy Fowlie
Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images for Netflix

'SNL' Writer Reveals His Sister's Disappearance Has Now Been Ruled A Homicide In Heartbreaking Post

On December 22, 2025, days before Christmas, actor and Saturday Night Live writer Jimmy Fowlie shared an Instagram post about his sister, Christina Downer, who had been declared missing.

Fowlie asked people to reshare the missing person flyer from the Los Angeles Police Department.

Keep ReadingShow less