The article is vague about this, but from the context it seems like the scams are people going to base camp, not summit teams. A trek to Everest Base Camp is st

The article is vague about this, but from the context it seems like the scams are people going to base camp, not summit teams. A trek to Everest Base Camp is strenuous, but it's obviously nowhere near as risky or expensive as joining a summit expedition. They should not be conflated. People paying $500 (or even $1000) should not have any illusion that they're going to summit, but they still need travelers insurance and they may still have medical difficulties related to altitude or just connected with the nature of the trek. You'd have the same risks hiking the John Muir Trail in the Sierras. There is one exception to this, which is that low-budget teams with a permit will sometimes self-support from base camp but will use a trekking guide to get them and their gear to base camp. Those people intend to summit and are just finding the cheapest way onto the mountain. They probably aren't going to bail at the first headache, though.