Hello, everyone.
This is Enta.
Starting with this post, I’d like to write about fraudulent construction practices related to slope stabilization work.
These include past cases, how to detect fraud, how to verify it, and the typical characteristics of such businesses.
First,In this article, we’ll explore why construction companies engage in substandard work.
Let's think about that.
Please look at the figure above.
It's called an irregular triangle.
To explain this simply in terms of our work as slope engineers (in the construction industry):
Motivation: Contract Amount, Wages
Opportunity: One’s position, circumstances, and job responsibilities at the time
Justification: Expertise; reasons based on construction conditions
It looks something like this.
Since they don't have much money, they resort to quick and easy fraud—doing it in ways that aren't obvious—just to make a little extra profit.
Furthermore, since this type of misconduct tends to become routine, if a vendor has engaged in such behavior even once, it is highly likely that they are doing so on a regular basis.
That's because we're all subject to the "normalcy bias"—the belief that "it won't happen to us."
This is why people who commit crimes keep reoffending.
So, if the company itself is that kind of company, or if its representative is on that side, there is a very real possibility of fraud.
As a general rule, I don’t use companies like that! The basic premise is not to use subcontractors like that, but these days, it’s hard for a layperson to tell which companies are front companies.
From that perspective, it’s generally safer to avoid contractors who claim to be the cheapest—or who say they’ll do the work cheaper than anyone else.
If you use a subcontractor improperly and get caught for fraud, it would be a disaster!
That's absolutely terrifying! (Could I even end up getting threatened?)
Conversely, even if prices are high, any misconduct on the part of a business may be limited to a few employees at that company.
I suppose the reason for that is money, too.
The most obvious reason is that the wages paid are low.
Generally speaking, people like that only work for their own benefit, so they don’t bat an eye at shoddy workmanship.
Since they only have the simplistic mindset of “If I get caught, I’ll just quit,” they think only about how to make their work as dishonest and easy as possible—without taking any responsibility.
However, it is impossible to eliminate all of them.
That is precisely why construction managers need to keep a close eye on those areas as well.
It is also important to identify which types of work are most prone to fraud.
It's important to know where you're most likely to cut corners.
I especially want young site supervisors to know this.
By doing so, we can ensure that construction is carried out properly and without fraud, and I hope that by preventing a very small number of contractors from engaging in fraudulent practices, we can help improve this situation—specifically, the culture of fraud—even if only slightly.
Next time, I'll write about the different types of fraud by trade!
See you later.
