The Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) is alerting the public about a text fraud scheme related to the State’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP).
Since April 2021, the State of Colorado has provided emergency rental assistance to more than 40,000 households. The goal of the program was to mitigate the economic impacts of the pandemic on people who were at an increased risk of losing their housing due to challenges with paying rent, as many people found their jobs eliminated or paused.
As of November 15, 2022, the Colorado Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) stopped accepting new applications other than those at imminent risk of eviction. All applications for those with a Forcible Entry and Detainer court summons for eviction are handled through the DOLA’s CARE Center.
Emergency Rental Assistance Text Fraud Scheme
Fraudsters are texting Coloradans to urge them to apply for emergency rental assistance; however, this application is illegitimate and not State approved. DOLA assumes that personally identifiable information (PII) is being collected through this fraudulent application website – potentially putting Coloradans’ data at risk.
Pictured below is the false application website.
Do NOT click on links in texts related to applying for emergency rental assistance. These fraudulent text message links should be ignored and deleted.
Remember, the Department and the State will never solicit applications for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) or gather personally identifiable information (PII) via text.
If you have any questions, please contact the CARE Center at 1-888-480-0066, Monday through Friday 8:30am – 5:30pm.