MHADA lottery 2024: Fake MHADA lottery website entices Mumbai home aspirants

MUMBAI: The MHADA housing lottery has opened up avenues for scamsters as well. On August 13, MHADA authorities chanced upon a fake website in its name, which has already trapped several hopefuls desirous of getting a house through the MHADA lottery 2024. The housing authority has now registered a complaint with the cyber cell of the Mumbai police.

According to MHADA officials, they learnt of the fraud when an applicant came to their office to fill up the relevant forms, saying he had already made the payment. “Payment is the last step,” said an official. “However, in this case the applicant was asked to make an initial payment. In fact, he was also taken to a show flat in Goregaon West, where we have a project.”

The officials said that they then discovered the existence of a fake website, https://mhada.org, which closely resembles the official MHADA website https://mhada.gov.in. Sources said that they had received only one complaint on Tuesday evening but many more could have been deceived through the fraudulent site.

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The officials said that the applicant was taken to the building where a Low Income Group flat was shown to him. He was told it cost around ₹30 lakh. “The complainant told us that there were four people, including a woman, who took him to the building,” said another MHADA official. “They asked him to make the payment through the fake web link and asked him to visit the office at the time of the lottery draw for further processing. It appears that the applicant made the payment a few days before the lottery kicked off.”

Following the announcement of the lottery for 2,030 flats across various housing projects in Mumbai, MHADA’s vice-president and CEO Sanjeev Jaiswal urged applicants to exercise caution. “All applications must be submitted through MHADA’s official website https://housing.mhada.gov.in, as only those who apply through this platform will be considered for the computerised lottery draw,” said his note. “MHADA flats are allotted exclusively through this computerised system, which is secure, fully online and free from human interference. Citizens should be wary of any claims or promises made outside this official process.”

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The fake website, https://mhada.org, mimics the appearance of MHADA’s official site but bypasses the legitimate application process, offering direct payment options instead. The victim was misled into paying ₹50,000 on the fake site with the promise of getting a flat, and even received a fraudulent receipt afterward. The official website does not have a payment link.

The MHADA authorities said that they used the IHLMS 2.0 computerised lottery system, known for its simplicity and security. Once registered on the official platform, applicants can upload their documents, which are verified by the system to determine eligibility. Only then can they participate in the lottery and deposit the necessary payments.

However, in the case reported, the victim skipped these steps and made a payment directly to the fraudulent website as instructed by the scammers. In an official statement, MHADA authorities said that under no circumstances did they demand direct payments without completing the official application process. The entire procedure, from registration to the handover of flats, is conducted online without any need for cash transactions or intermediary involvement, said the MHADA statement.

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MHADA has urged the public to avoid engaging with any unofficial websites or sharing personal information with unauthorised individuals. “The Mumbai Board does not use any social media, intermediaries, agencies or other middlemen for the sale of apartments or for any other related tasks,” said the note. “No agents, consultants, or intermediaries have been appointed by MHADA for the sale of flats or any related activities. Citizens are advised to report any suspicious activity or attempts at fraud to MHADA’s Chief Vigilance and Security Officer or the Deputy Chief Officer (Marketing) of the Mumbai Board.”