Staff members at Big White Ski Resort have lost thousands of dollars to fake rental listings as scammers take advantage of a tight and competitive housing market.
Michael J. Ballingall, senior vice-president at Big White, says scammers are targeting seasonal staff by posting fake ads online, pretending to be landlords offering housing on the mountain.
“People need to be aware that everything you see on the internet you might not want to believe,” he said.
In the past two weeks alone, between 12 and 15 employees have been tricked into sending deposits for fake properties, adding up to more than $15,000 in losses.
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“They’re pretending that this is their condo, their unit, and that it’s for rent for the year. You just have to send a deposit and it’s yours,” Ballingall explained. “Unfortunately, (staff) are finding out the hard way that it is completely fake.”
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is warning renters to watch for red flags when searching for housing online.
“You want to do your research before you provide any money in advance,” said Simone Lis of the BBB. “If they are asking you to do things that seem outside of common practice, like give a damage deposit and pay your first month’s rent right away, those are red flags.”
She also warns about urgency tactics and unusual payment methods. “If you contact them and there’s a lot of pressure to put a deposit down now, or to pay through something like a wire transfer that isn’t reversible, be cautious.”
Big White does offer staff-specific accommodation, but demand is far outpacing supply.
“We’ve spent over $25 million building apartments. We now have 676 units for our staff to stay on the mountain,” said Ballingall. “But the mountain’s grown; it’s now well over 1,800 staff members wanting to play and work up at the resort.”
The resort is encouraging anyone unsure about a rental listing to reach out directly.
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