The rise and rise of budget airlines has seen a large section of the ski market going it solo, booking flights, accommodation, and transfers independently. And wherever there is a rise in online money being spent, there is a rise in scams.
Things to look out for are bargain prices - if it sounds too cheap it probably is - and personal contact details or bank accounts. Fraudsters have been copying legitimate property listings, and then relisting them on another accommodation site with added personal email and contact details - thus encouraging skiers to contact them direct, looking for a bargain and hoping to cut out agency fees.
There has also been cases of ski websites being replicated near perfectly, a trick which has also been used in online banking frauds.
So while we aren’t saying don’t go it solo, we are saying that if it’s very cheap, double check before you pay anything - especially if asked to pay direct by bank transfer. If at all uncertain, pay with a credit card as you will then get additional protection.
