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.
In Singapore, an American woman named Kao Jane Zhao, 41, pleaded guilty to a cheating charge after attempting to obtain discounted hotel rates under a false identity. Kao posed as the sister of a Marriott associate to receive reduced room rates at participating properties worldwide. She obtained an Explore membership from an unknown seller on Craiglist for US$300 (S$380) in 2024, despite knowing that the seller falsely claimed to be the sister of a Marriott employee.
The Explore membership granted access to discounted rates for Marriott associates and their families. On September 8, 2024, Kao checked into Sheraton Towers Singapore, falsely representing herself as the associate's sister on the front-desk manager's authorization form. She stayed for five nights at a discounted rate, then extended her stay for additional five consecutive nights.
Kao checked out on September 18, 2024, but returned five days later to stay for another four nights, accumulating over S$1,500 in discounts. She was arrested after her final stay when the hotel manager verified her authorization form and discovered she was not the associate's sister. During her sentencing in October, Kao made full restitution for her actions.
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