be a racket

1. To be great deal of noise or a loud commotion. There's an awful racket outside the house. What's all that racket, kids? A: "Well, that was quite a racket!" B: "Yeah, looks like raccoons got into our trashcans."

2. To be fraudulent, dishonest, or illegal as a means of generating profit. Any scheme that promises to help you get rich quick is nothing but a racket. Extortion is just one of the mob's many rackets that it runs. Don't give Rich any money—if he comes to you with some ingenious idea, know that it's just a racket.

3. slang To provide an easy and profitable living, as of a business or occupation. This freelance work can be a pretty good racket if you have the right connections. Did you see the big house he has? I had no idea being an inventor was such a racket! Everyone thinks that running a tech start-up is a racket, without seeing all the late nights and hard work that goes into it.