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A housing fraud case has been reported in Thane where 11 residents were cheated after being promised low-cost flats under a government housing scheme. The accused collected around INR 5,000 from each victim and later misused their personal documents to open bank accounts and carry out financial transactions. A case has been registered against three individuals for cheating and forgery. Police suspect a wider network and are checking if more people were targeted. The incident highlights rising misuse of trust in affordable housing schemes and the need for proper verification.
A housing fraud involving a fake government scheme has been reported in Thane, where 11 residents were cheated after being assured flats at subsidised rates under the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA). The accused approached individuals with claims of securing confirmed allotments at lower prices, creating a sense of trust around the offer. Advertisement
The complaint was filed by a 54-year-old woman from Ulhasnagar, who said the accused convinced her that they had access to official channels and could arrange a flat under the scheme. Based on similar assurances, multiple individuals agreed to join and submitted their personal documents along with initial payments.
Each victim reportedly paid around INR 5,000 as a processing fee, taking the total collected amount to nearly INR 55,000. While the upfront amount appeared limited, the fraud was more extensive. Police found that the accused used the submitted documents to obtain SIM cards, create email IDs, and open bank accounts in the names of the victims without their knowledge.
Officials stated that these bank accounts were then used to route larger financial transactions. The accused allegedly carried out fund transfers to different companies and entities, using forged signatures and documents, which indicates that the fraud went beyond a simple housing scam and involved identity misuse.
The case was registered at Hill Line police station against three individuals under sections related to cheating, forgery, and criminal breach of trust. Police have started a detailed investigation to track financial trails and identify if additional victims were targeted using the same method.
Authorities have also indicated that genuine MHADA allotments are done through a lottery system and not through direct allocation or guaranteed deals. They have advised homebuyers to verify all such claims through official portals and avoid sharing personal documents without proper checks.
Similar cases have been reported across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region in the past, where fraudsters have misused the credibility of government housing schemes to target buyers. In earlier instances, scammers posed as agents and collected money by promising assured allotments, highlighting a repeated pattern in such frauds.
Source PTI
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