Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Warns of Housing Scam

NEW CARROLLTON, MD — The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) is warning Marylanders of an online scam by an entity posing as DHCD (or a public housing authority for the State of Maryland) falsely claiming to administer the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program.

Shared on Facebook, the scam depicts a printed flyer announcing the opening of a waitlist for specific properties as part of the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program. It encourages residents to provide personal information through a fraudulent link or to visit DHCD’s Lanham headquarters. This advertisement was not created or shared by DHCD, and DHCD does not endorse any such solicitation.

This scam is shared on a false Facebook page imitating DHCD. When engaging with housing information on social media, please verify the authenticity of the page and content by looking for the blue checkmark next to the page name, “Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development.” To verify you are visiting the authentic page, visit our website at dhcd.maryland.gov and click on the Facebook icon in the top right corner of the website homepage to be connected.

If you paid a fee or provided personal information on a fraudulent website, follow these steps:  

• Contact the company that facilitated the funds transfer to see if you can stop the payment.
• Contact the Maryland Attorney General’s Identity Theft Unit to learn how to protect yourself in case the scammers try to use your personal information and how to recover if you are impacted financially.
• Contact your local law enforcement department to file a police report.
• Report the incident to the Maryland Office of the Attorney General Consumer Protection Division and the Federal Trade Commission.

Marylanders interested in the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program are asked to be mindful of the following information:

• Legitimate housing authorities will not charge fees to join a waiting list.
• Before providing any personal information online, contact your local public housing authority to see if they are accepting applications for Section 8 housing, or how to apply for a waiting list.
• Contact a HUD-approved housing counseling agency to see what local assistance may be available to you.