Taking advantage of Marriott's offer is not scamming them any more than taking advantage of the many other offers identified within FT as the best way to maximize value through a particular program.

Though I'm not convinced that selling essentially pure-profit EQNs tied to an activity that is likely to spur much more high-margin revenue from the majority of incentivized participants is unintentional, I'll presume that Marriott really does regret their decision and I'll consider us lucky to have you policing their generosity.

While you're at it, you might want to keep a vigil for other offers companies make that might be too rich for their own good. Keep an eye on Mile Buzz and some of the blogs run by the more avid FTers and you'll get lots of hot leads. It's easy to find outlandish loopholes being scammed all the time, such as when thousands of bonus miles are earned for making minor purchases and filling out surveys. Oh, and don't overlook the forums dealing with mistake fares... it's a great way for you to contribute to a lubricated system where companies don't even need to watch their step because they can count on their customers to save the day.

On that note, I've noticed that the recent Megabonus offer might be a loophole they want to close. It's possible to purchase twenty $50 nights as a Platinum, stacking various discounts (gift card offers, cash back sites, etc.) to get the actual cash outlay down to about $40, and then earn 300 (arrival gift) + 2000 (Megabonus) + 250 (chase cc) + 750 (regular plus elite bonus earnings) on each night. This amounts to 3300 MR points, a free newspaper, breakfast, gym and pool use, and a place to stay, all for a measly $40 cash outlay, per night. Even if you completely throw out the value of the hotel (which certainly costs Marriott something to provide), the points alone are costing you only 1.21 cents each. You can then take those 3300 x 20 points, add them to others you accumulate similarly, and redeem them via a travel package when an airline that is being victimized by a 50-100% matching miles promo has an active offer. You can easily approach 2 cents per MR point in redemption value this way, even though you paid much less for them and got twenty nights of hotel use to boot. Most people pay far more per point and don't get nearly this value out of their Marriott spending. This is clearly a loophole by which Marriott could be scammed if someone is motivated enough, and they need to be made aware. Shall I take it upon myself to tell them, or will you?