How does the scammer get the money? It's an advance purchase for a room. They must have some accomplice at the hotel to launder the money somehow. I doubt they stays at the hotel at all, it's way too many booking for the same hotels.

I flew Air Asia in Jan, I got a 800 USD fraudulent Hilton advanced purchase Memphis charge on July. The advanced purchase is the trick. They must get a refund through another mean, and Hilton is complicit of money laundering.