MHADA Alerts Public on Fake Lottery Scam

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) has issued a warning regarding a fraudulent website posing as the official portal for the 2024 MHADA housing lottery. The fake site, operating under the URL https://mhada.org, has reportedly deceived several aspirants seeking affordable housing through the MHADA lottery.

On August 13, MHADA officials uncovered the scam after an applicant, having already made a payment, approached the authority for form submission. The applicant had been directed to make an initial payment on the fake site and was subsequently shown a property in Goregaon West, purportedly under MHADA’s project.

The fraudulent website closely mimics the legitimate MHADA portal, https://mhada.gov.in, leading many to confuse it with the genuine site. While only one formal complaint had been lodged by the evening of August 13, it is feared that more individuals may have fallen victim to this deception. The scam involved individuals taking victims to a show flat and instructing them to make payments via the fake website.

Victims were promised housing units priced around INR 30 lakh and were given fraudulent receipts after making payments. The genuine MHADA site, in contrast, does not include direct payment links, ensuring that all transactions are securely processed through the official platform. Following the announcement of the lottery for 2,030 flats across various projects in Mumbai, MHADA has reiterated that applications must be submitted exclusively via their official website, https://housing.mhada.gov.in.

The authority emphasised that only applications processed through this site will be considered for the lottery draw, which is conducted using the secure IHLMS 2.0 system. This system ensures that all processes from registration to flat allotment are managed online without cash transactions or intermediary involvement. MHADA officials have also urged the public to remain vigilant and avoid engaging with any unofficial websites or intermediaries. “MHADA does not utilise social media, agents, or intermediaries for flat sales or related tasks,” stated an official note.

“All transactions are handled directly through our official website. We advise anyone encountering suspicious activity to report it immediately to MHADA’s Chief Vigilance and Security Officer or the Deputy Chief Officer (Marketing) of the Mumbai Board.” The authority has lodged a formal complaint with the Mumbai police’s cyber cell, seeking action against those behind the scam. The public is advised to only rely on official MHADA channels for all lottery-related processes and to report any irregularities promptly.