ST. PAUL — Facebook scammers promising access to open waitlists for people seeking housing vouchers impersonated the state's top housing agency.
In a Tuesday, June 25, news release, Minnesota Housing announced the fraudulent social media has been shut down.
The perpetrators of the scam used alternate identities — including "Minnesota Housing Authority" and "Minnesota Housing Development Authority" — to lure people to apply for nonexistent housing units and vouchers, either online or in person. The Section 8 vouchers, now known as Housing Choice vouchers, help low-income households pay rent on private, market-rate rental units.
Unsuspecting people who followed the links were asked for personally identifiable information that, if provided, put them at risk for identity theft, the agency stated. Other people were directed by the scammers to Minnesota Housing’s St. Paul office to apply for the vouchers and housing, only to be told the information they obtained is a scam.
"This scam targets some of the most vulnerable populations in our state, which is unacceptable," said Minnesota Housing Deputy Commissioner Rachel Robinson in the release. "It exploits the urgency tied to housing. We know Minnesotans are struggling to secure safe and stable housing around the state. At Minnesota Housing, we do our best to prevent and address these scams."
Minnesota Housing does not manage housing waitlists and does not issue housing vouchers. People with questions about federal rental assistance are encouraged to contact their local Public Housing Agency. Minnesota Housing provides other ways to find housing help on its website.
Similar disinformation campaigns have targeted housing agencies, authorities and organizations in multiple states in recent weeks. In each case, Facebook/Meta has eventually taken down the reported pages. All fraudulent information was removed from Facebook.
The agency reported it has alerted its partners and filed reports with local, state and federal authorities.
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