No, it’s not the only route they have at all. There is a long history of companies screwing over their own customers to make money. I can’t honestly believe that you aren’t aware of this.

Just look at how Wells Fargo a while back was opening up accounts and charging fees to customers who never authorized it.

Or Purdue Pharma that gave kickbacks to doctors to prescribe opioids and misled the public about how addictive they were.

Or payday loan companies that suck people into vicious cycles of debt. Or the numerous companies that profit from gambling addiction.

Or the big banks that gave out dubious mortgages and lied about risks to investors, which precipitated in a global housing meltdown and recession in 2007.

Or how cigarette companies lied about the dangers of smoking, leading to countless deaths.

Companies will lie, cheat, and scam their way to profits if they have to. Not all of them, and not all of the time, but the endless quest for more money is always corrupting.