An arrest in Wanaka on Thursday takes the number of people processed this season for skifield fraud in the region to 16.
In Queenstown, 15 people have now had lifetime bans imposed on them for skiing with a false pass or no pass at nzski.com's two skifields.
The first person to be processed by police for suspected fraud in Wanaka is a 19-year-old Italian snowboarder and he now faces a two-year ban from all four independent Wanaka skifields.
Constable Mike Johnston said yesterday the man was caught using the Snow Park on Thursday without a pass and would appear on a charge of fraud in the Queenstown District Court on Monday.
Const Johnston said the man had intended to be in Wanaka for a month and had visited Wanaka skifields in two other years.
The man had been extremely distraught and apologetic but had to face the consequences of being banned not just from the Snow Park, but the Snow Farm, Treble Cone Ski Area and Cardrona Alpine Ski Resort, Const Johnston said.
Nzski.com introduced the lifetime ban at Coronet Peak and the Remarkables Ski Area at the beginning of this season, but the four Wanaka resorts opted for a less harsh two-year ban.
Snow Park operations manager Sam Lee could not be contacted for comment yesterday but has previously spoken in support of the scheme because of the costs fraud imposed on skifield operators and regular pass-holders.
The Snow Park has also introduced a new ticketing system this year to crack down on fraud.
Nzski.com chief executive James Coddington credited a new electronic ticket system with detecting more fraud this year than in previous seasons.
The company wanted to take a hard-line stance and deter fraud at the outset, he said.
All cases were referred to the police to be dealt with by the courts or by diversion, he said.
The people processed for fraud in Queenstown had been very embarrassed and remorseful, he said.
Mr Coddington confirmed a lifetime ban did mean a lifetime ban but said the system would be assessed at the end of the season.
