The Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) has alerted public of a fraudulent website — https://mhada.org — that has been tricking people into making payments under the false promise of securing a flat. The body has urged people to click on https://housing.mhada.gov.in for the housing lottery application process.
MHADA has lodged a formal complaint with the Cyber Cell, seeking action against those responsible for the website. The fraudulent website has come up at a time MHADA has announced a lottery for 2,030 flats across various housing projects in Mumbai.
Sanjeev Jaiswal, MHADA’s Vice-President and CEO, has urged applicants to exercise extreme caution and only submit their applications through the official MHADA website. He emphasised that flats are allocated solely through a secure, computerised lottery system that is fully online and free from human interference. “We want to ensure that every applicant understands that any claims or promises made outside of this official process are completely fraudulent,” Jaiswal stated.
म्हाडाने आपल्या सदनिकांच्या लॉटरीमध्ये सहभागी होण्याकरिता नागरिकांसाठी, MHADA Lottery मोबाईल ॲप आणि https://t.co/qcLWXn8xsi वेबसाईट असे दोन पर्याय उपलब्ध करून दिलेले आहेत. हे दोन्ही पर्याय 24/7 उपलब्ध आहेत. ज्यामुळे तुम्ही कधीही, कुठूनही म्हाडा मुंबई लॉटरीसाठी अर्ज करू शकता.… pic.twitter.com/6jASKHXogp— MHADA (@mhadaofficial) August 12, 2024
The fake website, https://mhada.org, not only looks like the official site, but also offers direct payment options, bypassing the legitimate application process. Several victims were duped into paying Rs. 50,000 on this fraudulent site, even receiving fake receipts as part of the scam.
MHADA uses the highly secure IHLMS 2.0 computerised lottery system, which is designed to be user-friendly and transparent. The process begins with registration on the official platform, followed by the submission and verification of documents. Only after these steps can applicants participate in the lottery and make any required deposit payments.
Jaiswal stressed that MHADA never requests direct payments without completing the formal application process. All procedures, from registration to the final handover of flats, are conducted online without the need for any cash transactions or intermediaries.
MHADA has also warned the public against engaging with unofficial websites or sharing personal information with unauthorised individuals. The organisation reiterated that it does not use social media, intermediaries, agencies, or any other middlemen for the sale of flats or any related activities. MHADA has not appointed any agents, consultants, or intermediaries for these tasks.
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