Man Uses Dead Cockroaches And Dirty Condoms To Blackmail Hotels For Free Stays

A 21-year-old man from China's Zhejiang Province has been arrested after he scammed 63 hotels for free stays and compensation. Known only by his surname, Jiang used a collection of unsanitary items — such as dead cockroaches and used condoms — to falsely claim poor hygiene conditions and extort money from hotel managers.

His crime spree began in September 2023 when he chose to spend his university tuition funds on travel rather than enrolling in college, the SCMP reported. Finances soon ran dry, and he devised a scheme that involved planting insects, hair and other items in hotel rooms and threatening to report hygiene issues unless his demands for free accommodation or financial compensation were met.

“Over a span of 10 months, Jiang frequently stayed at hotels, sometimes checking into three or four different ones in a single day. He would exploit minor flaws or plant insects, bugs, and hair to threaten hotels with complaints or online exposure, demanding free stays or compensation,” an unnamed police officer told SCMP.

The scam unravelled on August 8, 2024, when a hotel manager, surnamed Ke, reported Jiang to the police after he allegedly extorted 400 yuan (around Rs 4,600) by claiming there were hygiene issues in his room.

A staff member from one of the hotels targeted by Jiang reported feeling alarmed by his claims of insects and hair in the rooms. Upon sharing details with other hotels, they discovered a troubling pattern involving the man's repeated complaints.

A search of Jiang's belongings uncovered 23 packets containing dead cockroaches and used condoms. Further investigations revealed that Jiang checked into over 380 hotels since November 2023, with many lodging providers issuing financial refunds linked to his stays.

Following a probe, Jiang confessed to executing 63 scams, defrauding hotels of over 38,000 yuan (around Rs 4.39 lakh). His case has been forwarded to the Linhai People's Procuratorate for further legal action.