What to Know
- Scammers are using false names and real phone numbers to target Miami-Dade residents for a Section 8 housing voucher
- MDPD officials say if this Section 8 housing voucher offer is made to you, do not respond
Officials in Miami-Dade County are warning residents about a new scam offering Section 8 housing vouchers for a fee.
Scammers are calling people to inform them that they have been selected to receive a housing voucher entitling them to a two or three bedroom apartment, if they pay a $500 fee, according to the Miami-Dade Police Department’s Economic Crimes Bureau.
"If such an offer is made to you, do not respond," the department said in a press release. "This is a scam. Section 8 vouchers are never provided for a fee."
In one of several variations of the scam, people are using false names and real numbers, such as Diane Arango at 954-305-5053 or Carmen Alvarez at 850-203-3274, to target potential victims.
The callers ask unsuspecting residents for personal information, such as a valid social security number, and a $500 fee that should submitted by using the CashApp or Velle.
The Economic Crime Bureau is working closely with Miami-Dade County’s Public Housing and Community Development Department to investigate the scam.
Local
MDPD is asking if anyone has been a target of the scam to contact them at 305-994-1000.
