Housing Department warns of fraudulent emails promising vouchers and public housing
The Department of Housing and the Public Housing Administration alerted residents on Thursday about scam emails sent from Gmail accounts that request personal information in exchange for supposed housing assistance.
File photoThe short version
- El Nuevo Día reports that people showed up at agency offices believing they had official appointments after receiving the fake emails
- Official communications come only from @vivienda.pr.gov or @avp.pr.gov domains, according to the Department of Housing
- Secretary Luis Augusto Martínez Román and AVP Administrator Juan A. Rosario Hernández issued the joint warning on Oct. 22
- Agencies advise against opening suspicious links, downloading attachments or sharing Social Security numbers and bank details
Fraudulent emails target housing applicants
The Department of the Vivienda and the Administración de Vivienda Pública (AVP) warned the public on Thursday, Oct. 22, about fraudulent emails offering housing vouchers or relocation to public housing projects in exchange for personal information. El Nuevo Día reported. The emails, sent from Gmail accounts, are not official, the agencies said.
Several people arrived at the agencies' offices convinced they had been summoned for legitimate housing assistance after receiving the messages, Primera Hora noted. Both agencies clarified that only messages from @vivienda.pr.gov or @avp.pr.gov domains are authentic. Telemundo Puerto Rico reported the same details.
Also on PuertoRico.com: Is Puerto Rico part of the US?
What the sources posted
Posts and statements below are the sources' own words, quoted as published. They are not independently verified.
Nos preocupa que personas que buscan una oportunidad de vivienda segura puedan ser víctimas de engaños.
Our translation: We are concerned that people seeking a safe housing opportunity may become victims of deception.
The source's own statement, as quoted by El Nuevo Día. Not verified by PuertoRico.com.
Ninguna comunicación electrónica, por sí sola, garantiza la asignación de un vale o una unidad de vivienda pública.
Our translation: No electronic communication by itself guarantees the assignment of a voucher or a public housing unit.
The source's own statement, as quoted by Primera Hora. Not verified by PuertoRico.com.
Officials stress verification
Housing Secretary Luis Augusto Martínez Román stated that Governor Jenniffer González Colón considers it a priority for families to have access to programs and the necessary guidance. He expressed concern that people seeking safe housing could fall victim to deception. The secretary urged residents to verify communications and protect personal data.
AVP Administrator Juan A. Rosario Hernández emphasized that admission and assignment to public housing follow established requirements and procedures. "Ninguna comunicación electrónica, por sí sola, garantiza la asignación de un vale o una unidad de vivienda pública," he said. The agencies recommend not opening suspicious links, downloading attachments from unknown senders or sharing Social Security numbers, identity documents or banking information.
How to verify communications
To confirm a citation or obtain guidance, residents may call the AVP at (787) 759-9407 or write to info@avp.pr.gov. The agencies also suggested checking their official and verified social media accounts for information on programs and services. All three outlets reported the same contact details and preventive recommendations.
Where the sources differ
All three sources agree on the date of the alert, the nature of the scam emails from Gmail accounts, the official domains, the people who showed up at offices, the quoted statements by Secretary Luis Augusto Martínez Román and Administrator Juan A. Rosario Hernández, and the recommended precautions and contact number. El Nuevo Día, Primera Hora and Telemundo Puerto Rico report essentially identical facts with only minor variations in wording and which parts of the quotes they include.
What the reports do not say
The reports do not say how many people received the fraudulent emails, how many appeared at the offices, whether any personal data had already been compromised, if law enforcement is investigating the senders, or what the next steps are beyond public alerts and verification. They also do not mention any specific examples of the email content.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Official ¡Ojo al fraude! Alertan sobre correos que ofrecen vales de vivienda y reubicación en residenciales
- Reporting ¡Ojo al fraude! Alertan sobre correos que ofrecen vales de vivienda y reubicación en residenciales
- Reporting No caigas: Vivienda alerta de correos electrónicos fraudulentos para solicitar información personal
- Reporting Advierten sobre correos fraudulentos prometiendo vales de vivienda
How we checked this
El Nuevo Día, Primera Hora and Telemundo Puerto Rico all published the joint warning from the Department of Housing and the AVP on Oct. 22. The officials' statements and the recommended contact number rest on the agencies' own press release as presented by the three outlets.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.