Not only are people generating unearned status for club lounge access (and lounges are far nicer in Asia) and other benefits, but Bonvoy elites no longer have an incentive to stay to requalifying for status since they can just buy it cheap. They can even merge the new account they create for this with their existing one.
Marriott sees they’re getting plenty of new signups through Fliggy, when they’re getting plenty of short-term elites – and the same members opening new accounts over and over, it seems.