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.

“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. “Unfortu

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