Mumbai, August 15: The Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) has issued a warning about a fake website, https://mhada.org, which is deceiving people seeking flats through the MHADA lottery 2024. Discovered on August 13, the fraudulent site closely resembles the official MHADA portal, https://mhada.gov.in. The scam has reportedly ensnared several hopeful applicants.

MHADA officials were alerted when an applicant, who had already made a payment, visited their office. The applicant had been misled into paying an initial amount and shown a Low Income Group flat in Goregaon West, which cost approximately INR 30 lakh. The scam involved directing victims to the fake site for payment, bypassing the official lottery process. MHADA Lottery 2024: MHADA’s Mumbai Board Announces Lottery for Sale of 2,030 Flats, Online Registration To Begin on August 9; Check Details.

The fake website offered direct payment options and issued fraudulent receipts, misleading individuals into paying INR 50,000. The genuine MHADA website does not include a payment link; all transactions are processed through MHADA’s secure IHLMS 2.0 computerised system, which handles registrations and payments. MHADA Mumbai Board Lottery 2024: Advertisement for 2,030 Houses Likely Soon on mhada.gov.in; Check All Details Here.

MHADA Vice-President and CEO Sanjeev Jaiswal emphasized that all applications must be submitted through the official website, https://housing.mhada.gov.in, and warned against engaging with unofficial sites or intermediaries. He urged the public to report any suspicious activities to MHADA’s Chief Vigilance and Security Officer or Deputy Chief Officer (Marketing) of the Mumbai Board.

MHADA has registered a complaint with the Mumbai police’s cyber cell and is investigating the fraud, cautioning against unauthorised transactions and ensuring that the official application process remains secure and transparent.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 15, 2024 07:11 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).