The circumstances that most of us deal with is this. Wildlife has well adapted to human expansion into their habitat and as a result has flourished. There is more food, shelter and less work involved for many of those living in the wild. It is an ongoing daily routine for truly wild animals to make a living in some habitat areas.
But they make it work or we wouldn't have the populations that we do today in so-called suburbia and cities to a great degree. There wouldn't be a demand for our services if things were different.
A growing percentage of our population doesn't want bothered, don't have the knowledge or would gladly pay someone to handle their problem. They like it that way from what I have seen, or they wouldn't be keeping so many of us in business. The more pacified and removed from nature that these folks become the more dependent they become on our services.
At least the well employed/educated folks that have the ways and means to pay for such work.
Wildlife that has had a taste of the good life become habituated to this multi rich environment. When reproduction does take place within the confines of this "easy life" environment, they just have to make their rounds each night through the neighborhoods.
Most just reaping the benefits of the many opportunities that man has provided them. Then it becomes a generational lifestyle to these animals as the generations evolve.
Bird feeders, lawn care, sprinkler systems, hot tubs, pools, dog / cat food and water bowls, Koi ponds, keeping the garage doors at half-mast for the cats. Decks, sheds, gazebos etc. that is a list of just a few situations that come to mind. These situations are calling cards of opportunity for many species of wildlife.
What is that quote from a movie. "Build it, they will come." It isn't a difficult scenario to figure out.
As to being crooks, I don't view my business model or my pricing structure as such or falling into that category that you have described.
I charge what I deem as a fair price for my time, type of work, equipment, risk factor and knowledge needed to get the job done. A client always has the option to shop around as we all know many do this.
I don't prey on anyone's weaknesses or fears, and I am sure I am not alone in how I do things.
I explain to the potential client, to the best of my abilities, as to what they can expect in results and costs prior to any services being rendered. They can decide to move ahead or decline services based on the information I have provided.
I do not take advantage of anyone. In many cases we are all doing population control of sorts. That is what we do. At times you don't know specifically if you got the offender. Only time will tell us the answer to getting the problem animals. In some circumstances the problem may be a single animal. Other cases it may be an on and off or an ongoing scenario.