Scams & Fraud

Applying for public assistance programs – like for housing, heating costs or home repair help – means providing personal information.  Unfortunately, scammers may try to take advantage of people in need by posing as an official resource. To stay safe, here are a few best practices:

• Be cautious of any website, call, or message asking for your information.
• Never provide your personal information (social security number, bank or credit card information, or other intimate details) on a website found through an internet search without first verifying validity.
• Don’t click a link in an email unless it is from a trusted source.
• Remember, you will never be charged a fee to apply for help with housing or heating costs, or home repairs.
• For programs MaineHousing administers, call us at (207) 626-4600 to ask questions if you have concerns.

Also, if you have received housing assistance and are looking for a unit, be cautious of:

• any request for payment before seeing the unit in person
• ads or requests specifically excluding legitimate, regularly used payment services like Venmo or Cash App
• a request at any time for payment by more questionable methods (such as wire transfer, gift cards, or cryptocurrency)
• multiple ads listing the same unit
• an address search showing a different owner than is listed
• a high rental application fee; Maine has a cap based on the landlord’s pre-screening costs, so ask for clarification.