Illegal family & friends use ends up in court

[markis10]

Woman posed as Marriott associate’s sister to get discounts for hotel stays in S’pore

Kao Jane Zhao pleaded guilty to a cheating charge on Sept 4 and will be sentenced in October. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

www.straitstimes.com

Things folk get up to for a discount! I wonder if her appearance gave the game away, Michael Melendez probably doesn’t have an appearance similar to Kao Jane Zhao.

 

[Pvcmenace]

This issue will not happen so much any longer as from April this year these rates are linked via the associates employee online portal (with limits on how many beneficiaries) and is then loaded into the recepients app. Though It's funny different properties have different treatments using the rates. Some don't ask for proof others ask to see the link in the app.

 

[Noah Count]

Of all places not to bend or break rules, Singapore would be at top of my list. For most crimes all roads lead to jail.

 

[Quickstatus]

Any different to people pretending to be a family member of a QF frequent flyer?

 

[sudoer]

Any different to people pretending to be a family member of a QF frequent flyer?

Highly unlikely they can say a crime was committed in Singapore?

 

[Quickstatus]

Highly unlikely they can say a crime was committed in Singapore?

Sure, but i was referring to the actual act rather than where it was committed.

 

[anat0l]

. For most crimes all roads lead to jail.

...and/or a beating.

Any different to people pretending to be a family member of a QF frequent flyer?

...and that would result in punishment if it too were caught. But that probably doesn't rise to the level of criminal fraud; more you just broke the rules (or to the extent that QFF is convinced so), so you get penalised within or from the programme.

This wrong here is a criminal case (at least in Singapore) that goes beyond just the Marriott programme.

 

[Quickstatus]

But that probably doesn't rise to the level of criminal fraud

Why not?
Isn't that the very definition of fraud?

 

[sudoer]

I think a key difference is that the use of corporate rates (and similar) results in an easily quantifiable financial disadvantage to the property.

Selling Qantas points is different as:

20.4 Qantas Points do not have a monetary value and cannot be converted to money.

And Qantas doesn't necessarily lose any money through the unauthorised sale of points.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Why not?
Isn't that the very definition of fraud?

No.

Things can be an against an airline’s rules or program terms and conditions, but not be criminal.

For example skiplagging. It’s against the rules, but not criminal.

The sale or barter of points is generally prohibited, but not criminal.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Things folk get up to for a discount! I wonder if her appearance gave the game away, Michael Melendez probably doesn’t have an appearance similar to Kao Jane Zhao.

Apparently Marriott Associates benefits are extended as far a siblings in-law. So not sure that would be an immediate giveaway.

Other sites have suggested it was the repeated extensions of stay, and the return visit that might have triggered investigation, given the value of the discount.

My understanding is that these stays aren’t on a ‘standby’ basis like airline staff travel. The hotel booking ks confirmed… so the hotel could lose revenue.