- A South Carolina woman admitted a scam selling "discounted" ski/snowboard passes.
- Federal authorities say the scheme resulted in millions of dollars in losses.
- Ikon and Epic passes for Utah resorts were among those fraudulently sold.
One person could be headed to prison and another faces federal charges for a ski/snowboard pass scam that authorities say resulted in millions of dollars in losses.
Jamilla Greene, 34, of Fort Mill, South Carolina, admitted in federal court in Salt Lake City this week that she used stolen bank card information to buy full price ski/snowboard passes and sell them online at a “discounted” price.
“This multi-year, multimillion-dollar scheme not only victimized Utah ski resorts, skiers and snowboarders, and individuals whose bank card information was stolen, but could impact the trust of snow enthusiasts who seek passes annually to visit our resorts,” said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah.
Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera called it one of the largest fraud cases that her office has investigated. Federal and local law enforcement investigated the case.
From November 2020 through May 2024, Greene and others fraudulently sold Ikon and Epic ski and snowboard passes as well as individual resort passes. Ikon passes are offered through Alterra Mountain Company and allow access to winter resorts worldwide, including the Deer Valley, Solitude, Brighton, Alta, Snowbird and Snowbasin in Utah. Epic passes, offered through Vail Resorts, also allow access to resorts throughout the world, including Park City.
As part of the scam, Greene advertised discounted passes through targeted online postings where ski resorts are located, including Utah. When people responded to the ads, Greene used different bank card information to purchase ski passes at full price. She then received payment for the “discounted” pass through Venmo, PayPal, Zelle and Apple Pay.
Individuals whose stolen bank card information was used to buy the passes at full price challenged the transactions as fraudulent, resulting in large scale “charge backs” borne by various resorts, including Alterra and Vail Resorts, when the funds were returned to the bank card holders.
Many of the ski and snowboard passes were cancelled as a result of the “charge backs” and fraud, resulting in millions of dollars of loss, according to prosecutors.
Greene pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She is scheduled to be sentenced in February.
Also this week, a federal grand jury indicted Jonathan Rembert, 41, of Fort Mill, South Carolina, with financial crimes for allegedly participating in the ski and snowboard pass scam.
Rembert is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit mail fraud, possession of fifteen or more unauthorized access devices and aggravated identity theft. His initial court appearance is scheduled for January.