Miami HUD Office Warns of Web Scam Related to Recovery

16 March 2009

By Thomas L. Weitzel

LSF Communications

Lutheran Services Florida (LSF) received an email "Consumer Alert" notification on Fri., Mar. 13 from the Miami Field Office of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) stating that "a deceptive website out there that is posing as HUD."

The fake website, http://bailout.hud-gov.us/, purports to offer assistance related to the economic crisis and home foreclosures, but, according the HUD Consumer Alert email, it instead "tries to dupe people into giving out personal information (known as 'phishing')."

"This website is deliberately deceiving [the] public by using the HUD name in the web address as well as on the website," states the Miami Field Office email.  "Because they’ve made their site appear to be an 'official U.S. Government website,' some people may fall prey to this scam."

The email warns that the fake website "is NOT an official HUD site, and the public is warned not to use this site in order to access any HUD assistance or programs."

The correct and official website for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is: www.hud.gov.

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