Attention families looking for Section 8 Housing rental assistance: Watch out for SCAMS. We want you to know that there are no fees needed to apply for Section 8. There are reportedly plenty of websites which claim to be application websites for rental assistance. The only way you can apply for assistance through Section 8 is directly through a local housing authority.

Follow these tips from the Federal Trade Commission to avoid a Section 8 scam:

• Contact your local housing authority to find out how to register for the Section 8 waiting list. You’ll find their email and phone number on the HUD site. Follow their instructions to sign up.
• Housing authorities do not charge fees, and they won’t reach out to you by phone or email to suggest that you join a waiting list. A housing authority also will never ask you to wire money or pay with a prepaid card. Those are sure signs of a scam.
• Treat your Social Security number and other personal information (say, credit card numbers), like cash. Don’t give them out on a website you find through a search.
• Have you seen this kind of scam? File a complaint with the FTC and HUD. Some people have gotten help from the Better Business Bureau, so you also can file a complaint there.