A 41-year-old American woman bought access to a Marriott employee discount on Craigslist, falsely claimed to be the sister of a Marriott associate, and used it for discounted hotel stays in Singapore. That was a very bad place to try such a stunt, especially in the manner in which she did it.
The story actually began back in 2024, when Zhao was still in the United States and found someone on Craigslist selling access to Marriott’s Explore program for US$300.
Marriott employees and eligible family members can receive substantial discounts through the program, but Zhao was neither. The authorization form falsely identified her as the sister of a Marriott associate named Michael Melendez, and prosecutors say she knew that representation was false.
A great solo travel tip spotted this week on Live and Let's Fly.
