How can using defective construction materials become a white-collar crime?

Using defective construction materials becomes a white-collar crime when individuals or corporations intentionally substitute cheaper, substandard components for the higher-quality materials specified in a project while still charging the customer for the full cost of the original, specified materials.1

This activity is classified as a white-collar crime because it relies on deceit and the abuse of a position of trust to achieve illegitimate financial gain. Rather than using physical force, the perpetrators employ concealment to defraud the client. Such actions may be carried out by individual employees or executives acting on their own initiative, or they may represent a collective, organized effort by a corporation to maximize profits at any cost, in which case it is referred to as corporate crime.1

Beyond the immediate financial fraud, these actions are ethically reprehensible because they can compromise structural safety, leading to potential injuries or fatalities, and may cause significant harm to the public and the environment.1