We all want sectors like Education & Healthcare to be fair & just for all but sadly, that is not always the case. Behind closed doors, shady deals, fraud and manipulation are happening day after day. While some sectors have always had a reputation for corruption, many others like Education have hidden issues that bring down people’s lives & economies. In this list, I will share with you 12 industries that are corrupted more than we think.
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Healthcare – Doctors for Sale
Doctors & hospitals are paid kickbacks from pharmaceutical firms to prescribe a drug or therapy. For instance, in 2019, Johnson & Johnson paid $117 million to resolve claims that it funneled kickbacks to doctors for promoting its medicines. It results in overpricing patients & prescriptions of toxic or unnecessary treatments.
Food Production – Poisonous Practices
In 2008, the milk scandal in China exposed how dairy producers were adding melamine into infant formula, injuring thousands of children’s kidneys. In Brazil, the Operation Weak Flesh scandal showed how slaughterhouses bribed health officials to certify rotten meat for export. This kind of corruption threatens global food security.
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Construction– Unsafe Deals
Do you remember how the Operation Car Wash took place in Brazil in 2017 – exposing building companies such as Odebrecht bribing politicians to secure government contracts? When this happens in developing countries, lack of proper management results in low-quality materials & dangerous structures, putting people’s safety at risk.
Government & Public Sector – Where’s Your Money Going?
The FIFA corruption scandal of 2015 exposed state officials & sports managers who were bribed to decide World Cup host selections. Whether it’s fraud with public money, or accepting bribes to give government contracts, all of these deceitful activities sabotage taxpayers & weaken public confidence. In most nations, theft of public funds leaves no money for vital public services such as health care & education.
Banking & Finance – Hidden Scams
Corruption is generally associated in banking and finance with insider trading, investment fraud & money laundering. The big banks and financial institutions occasionally falsify market data or inflict opportunistic trades to increase their profit. The financial crisis of 2008 exposed unethical banking, with banks such as Lehman Brothers lending risky mortgages.
Real Estate – Pricey and Corrupt
The 2016 Panama Papers leak revealed how rich & powerful people around the world hid their money in property investments. Politicians can be bribed to alter zoning or estate agents can rig the property market. It also causes overvalued real estate, which harms the potential buyers & homeowners.
Mining & Natural Resources – Money over Safety
Corruption is always bound to mining & natural resources, especially in oil, gas, or mineral-rich countries. In the 2016 Unaoil scandal, we saw how oil companies bribed government officials in the Middle East for contracts.
Entertainment – Deals with a Dark Side
Under the glitter of entertainment industry, a lot of deals are made unethically. The Hollywood casting couch scandal with Harvey Weinstein showed us how se**al favors were traded for jobs. These immoral practices destroy the integrity of entertainment.
Telecommunications – Bribery for Bigger Contracts
Telecommunications providers sometimes act corruptly to skirt laws, gain market share, or dodge taxes. In some countries, companies bribe governments for bigger contracts or greater coverage. In 2019, Ericsson paid more than $1 billion to settle U.S. charges for bribing officials in China, Vietnam & Kuwait.
Pharmaceuticals – Dangerous Profits
Pharma corruption can also occur in the form of paying doctors to prescribe a drug or manipulating the outcome of a clinical trial. As a result, the patients might be receiving medication that is neither effective nor safe. For instance, the US opioid epidemic was fueled by Purdue Pharma’s misleading marketing of OxyContin & it created widespread addiction & death.
Education – Getting In the Wrong Way
Bribery to get into schools, diploma shams or abuse of state funds allocated for education are only a few corrupt practices visible in this industry. The “Operation Varsity Blues” college admissions scandal in the United States in 2019 exposed a massive conspiracy where wealthy parents bribed college officials, coaches & exam administrators to get their kids into the universities like USC, Stanford, Yale & Georgetown.
Technology – Data & Power Games
Some tech companies hack data, discriminate against competition, or profit from the personal information of users. The Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal showed us how personal data was used for political purposes. Google & Apple have been sued for monopolizing the market, limiting competition.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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