Industry News
A 49-year-old Latvian national, identified on his Facebook page as Richard Berger, has been sentenced to 12 months in prison for posing as a certified ski instructor and defrauding Russian-speaking tourists at some of Austria’s most popular ski resorts, including Mayrhofen, Kitzbühel, and Ischgl. He may have also scammed Russian speaking customers in St. Moritz and Laax in Switzerland.
Berger ran a fraudulent operation under the name “Omega Ski Academy,” advertising his services on Facebook and his website, where he claimed to be an Austrian state-certified instructor. He even wore a fake Austrian ski instructor badge on his ski jacket and used a fictitious address for a ski school in Mayrhofen to lend legitimacy to his scheme.
According to prosecutors, Berger collected upfront payments for private ski lessons, many of which were never delivered. Witnesses testified that he often failed to show up, and in the cases where lessons did occur, they were marred by unprofessional conduct. One witness described Berger drinking during class and yelling at students. In a particularly alarming incident, he allegedly abandoned a 10-year-old beginner skier alone on the slopes in Ischgl.
A Belarusian man living in Germany said he had booked a three-day course believing he was hiring a qualified Austrian instructor. He and his companion cut the course short after Berger’s erratic behavior. A Russian woman recounted that Berger simply never appeared for the lessons she had booked for her family—and the money was never returned. One dissatisfied customer, Dmitry Trenev, posted a warning online: “We used the services of Richard Berger for five days of skiing in Mayrhofen with our whole family—nine people in total. Everyone shares the same opinion: it’s a pity we contacted him. He was aggressive, used questionable methods, and even swore at my aunt and cousin. My wife tore the ligaments in her knee while skiing with him and had to undergo surgery.” Berger claimed in court that he had refunded payments for cancelled lessons, but victims disputed this under oath.
Austria’s system for ski instructors differs markedly from that in the United States. While American instructors are usually employees of a single ski resort, Austrian instructors often operate as independent contractors or through private ski schools. These schools are licensed but not necessarily tied to one resort. To legally offer lessons, instructors must be certified by state or national bodies affiliated with the Austrian Ski School Association (ÖSSV) and must carry a valid instructor ID with an annual validation stamp showing their qualifications.
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Berger held no such credentials, despite marketing himself as a certified professional for over a decade. He was apprehended on February 24 during a routine traffic stop in Seefeld, after being sought by the Innsbruck public prosecutor’s office for several years. Berger may not be his real name but just a pseudonym the Latvian man went under, stealing the credentials of other Austrian ski instructors. His identiy was not released in the Austrian news in line with European privacy laws, but has been taken from his website and Facebook page.
