Mt. Bachelor Uses New Cameras to Prevent Pass Fraud

The new cameras point directly at pass scanners on select lifts. Credit: Julianna LaFollette

Getting on a ski lift at Mt. Bachelor may look a little different this year. Skiers and riders this season can expect to see new cameras when going through pass scanners, as the resort attempts to identify and prevent pass fraud. The ski resort is testing the new program this year, implementing the cameras at select base lifts.

The new cameras on the mountain use photo comparison technology to compare photos of skiers and riders at the lift access gate with previous images scanned at the gate. This comparison technology is being used at several other resorts across the world, according to Lauren Burke, director of marketing and communications at Mt. Bachelor.

Pass fraud, or pass sharing, refers to someone using a pass that doesn’t belong to them. The price of a full-season pass at Mt. Bachelor for the 2024–2025 season is $1,549 for adults.

Mt. Bachelor requires each season passholder to upload a photo to be kept on file in its computer system. These photos are displayed on monitors when a customer passes through a lift access gate.

While the technology is used to compare images that have been scanned at the access gates, Burke told the Source Weekly that lift operators at the resort are still tasked with comparing pass photos and information with the physical guest going through the gate, as they have in the past before implementing this program.

According to Burke, the program helps Mt. Bachelor in its commitment to safeguarding an individual’s pass. The initiative, she said, is solely aimed at preventing pass fraud; therefore, images taken with the cameras are exclusively used for this purpose and are not employed for any other matters.

Mt. Bachelor has a zero-tolerance policy for pass fraud, and offending guests may lose skiing and riding privileges, according to its website. The resort states it will vigilantly look out for cases of pass fraud to protect the investment of the vast majority of law-abiding passholders. If someone is caught sharing a pass, the penalties can include fines and season-long or lifetime bans. Additionally, criminal charges could be assessed to both the fraudulent user and the consenting passholder.

In 2023, Central Oregon Daily reported that Mt. Bachelor was offering bonuses to employees who caught guests engaging in pass fraud, due to an increase in the activity.

This article appears in Source Weekly December 12, 2024.