Housing in Action
Cyberfraud
and Theft
Thank you for 30 years of faith and support, through the challenges and triumphs.
Your generosity is what has enabled us to pursue our vision of housing justice for all, and it will allow us to get through this emergency as well.
In May, Housing in Action was the victim of a targeted cyberfraud. In this attack, hackers broke into our bank accounts, stealing all of our organization’s assets—operational cash, savings, and reserve accounts—resulting in a loss of nearly $800,000.
With no cash on hand, the organization estimated it needed $400,000 by the end of June to keep staff in place and programs moving. That need could have spelled disaster. Instead, the community stepped in.
Funders, donors, partner organizations, neighbors, and longtime supporters rallied, contributing an incredible $465,000 by the end of June to stabilize operations. Partners across the region amplified the call for support—including The Alliance, Agate Housing + Services, Beacon Interfaith Housing, the Minnesota Homeownership Center, MCCD, and Hope Community—mobilizing their networks to protect affordable housing and the families who depend on it.
And people kept showing up.
As Housing in Action launched the longer effort to restore the $800,000 stolen, gifts and commitments continued to build. Families who had benefited from programs, longtime supporters, and brand new donors all played a part. As of November 2025, the total committed toward replacing the stolen funds has surpassed $730,000, leaving just $70,000 to go.
What began as a devastating setback has become one of the most inspiring chapters in the organization’s story. The attack was real, the loss was real, but so was the response, leaving a powerful reminder that when the stakes are high, this community stands together.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened?
In May, Housing in Action was the victim of a targeted cyberfraud. In this attack, hackers broke into our bank accounts, stealing all of our organization’s assets—operational cash, savings, and reserve accounts—resulting in a loss of nearly $800,000.
Housing in Action immediately began working with the local authorities, the FBI, our banking partners, and hired an investigative firm to identify those responsible for this crime. Additionally, our IT firm did a thorough investigation of our own server and emails and verified that there was no third-party access of our internal data. Local authorities and the FBI have told us that it is nearly impossible to recover the stolen funds.
While this is a devastating loss to the organization, it is also a devastating loss for our community. These dollars were queued to repair our dignified rental homes, to rehab and build new homes for affordable sale, and to provide down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers. This moment is difficult—one of the most difficult we’ve faced as an organization.
We are doing everything in our power to minimize the impact of this theft on the people we serve. Yet, recognizing the avenues available to us, we are deeply concerned we will need to sell rental properties to restore these funds. This will mean losing affordable housing and displacing neighbors we care deeply about and have worked with for years.
In addition to the operational dollars we need to run the organization and its programs, we are working to restore the $800,000 that was stolen.
Is anyone else at risk as a result of this theft?
Our understanding at this time is that the thieves were only after our financial resources, but we are waiting to see if law enforcement can identify if there was any other data accessed. All gifts made through our online donation portal are transferred to our banking account without any donor data attached.
Whose fault is this?
Law enforcement is investigating the exact specifics of the crime and seeking to identify the perpetrators who stole this money from our community. In this process, we’ve learned that attacks like this can happen to anyone and, unfortunately, are increasing. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) reported losses exceeding $16 billion in 2024 across the country—a 33% increase in losses from 2023.
How did the hackers gain access?
We are still unsure of all the details of how hackers gained access to our information, and are cooperating fully with law enforcement and our banking partners to identify those responsible for this crime. We are committed to transparency in order to help other organizations protect themselves from similar threats and will provide further updates when we are able.
What does this mean for Housing in Action?
We are doing everything in our power to minimize the impact of this theft on the people we serve. We have filed a cybertheft insurance claim in an effort to recoup a fraction of our losses. We are selling empty lots that we were holding for future builds. We are making appeals to individual donors to make a special gift, increase their giving, or make gifts earlier than they planned. We are making similar requests of our funding partners.
We are pursuing all these avenues in order to avoid the worst and final avenue: selling additional rental properties to restore these funds. This would mean losing quality affordable housing and displacing neighbors who we care deeply about and have worked with for years.
What internal protocols does HIA have to protect against cybercrime? Against theft and fraud?
Housing in Action works with a third-party IT firm to provide weekly and annual cybersecurity trainings and courses for all of our staff. Organizational emails and accounts are actively monitored for spam and phishing attempts and secured with multi-factor authentication. Additionally, staff are prohibited from using private computers or joining public, unsecured Wi-Fi networks on work computers at any time.
What is HIA doing to prevent this from happening again?
Law enforcement is working to determine how this cyberattack and theft occurred. In the meantime, our IT firm did a thorough investigation of our own server and emails and verified that there was no third-party access of our internal data. We have locked down our original banking accounts and opened new accounts to safely receive future payments and gifts.
I would like to make a gift. How do I know my gift is secure?
Giving by check, donor-advised fund (DAF), or through our online giving page continue to be safe and secure ways to give. We have locked down our original banking accounts and opened new accounts to safely receive payments and gifts.
HIA staff are here to support you in making a gift and are happy to accommodate whichever way you feel most comfortable giving a gift.