The National Housing Trust (NHT) is urging contributors to be extra vigilant in guarding against phishing attacks following reports of fraudulent emails.

The NHT has pointed to the existence of fictitious communication instructing recipients to verify their information by clicking on a link or attachment to receive their contributions refund.

In a news release issued yesterday, Assistant General Manager for Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Dwayne Berbick said that email verification is not a method used in the refund process.

According to him, “If there is a challenge with your application, you will get a notification from the NHT asking you to make direct contact with us. The process does not involve responding to an email or clicking on any attachment or link,” he said while addressing a recent forum.”

The release revealed that multiple cases of falsified communication have been reported to the NHT since January 1, 2024, when it began accepting refund applications for contributions made in 2016. Berbick said this trend is not new, urging contributors to protect their personal information so that it does not fall into the wrong hands and to guard against becoming victims of other cybercrimes.

He is insistent that “the NHT’s refund process is safe. The scams and the schemes that we are seeing do not attack that process. They play on refunds being available and individuals are collecting it. So, if you have received any kind of communication and you are in doubt, reach out to us for verification before you respond.”

The NHT has implemented several measures to communicate with and assist contributors in making their NHT refund applications safely and securely. These include the mobile application that is available for download in the Apple and Google Play stores, the NHT online portal that can be accessed at online.nht.gov.jm/ and the entity’s website, which can be found at www.nht.gov.jm.