This week, Minnesota Housing was impersonated in a Facebook scam about open waitlists for people seeking housing or Section 8/Housing Choice Vouchers. The fraudulent Facebook page has been taken down.
The perpetrators of the scam, posing as the state agency Minnesota Housing on Facebook, used alternate identities, including “Minnesota Housing Authority” and “Minnesota Housing Development Authority,” to lure people to apply for nonexistent housing units and vouchers online or in person.
Unsuspecting people who followed the links were asked for personally identifiable information that, if provided, put them at risk for identity theft. The scammers directed other people 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,” Minnesota Housing Deputy Commissioner Rachel Robinson says. “It exploits the urgency tied to housing. We know Minnesotans struggle 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. According to the Metropolitan Council’s Housing and Redevelopment Authority (Metro HRA), one waiting list is open in Dakota County, and another is scheduled for Bloomington on July 15. Waiting list opening information can be found at HousingLink – Twin Cities Housing Authority Waiting List Openings.
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 eventually took down the reported pages. All fraudulent information was removed from Facebook. The agency has alerted its partners and filed reports with local, state, and federal authorities.
