Now that April 1 is here the Census forms are due. Remember, a few of the following guidelines:
The census people are NOT coming to your home until May 1 to July 1. Anyone knocking your door now is a potential scam artist. They will arrive if you have NOT filled out your census form and returned it; or have not filled it out correctly.
There are only 10 questions to answer.
They are not to ask for Social Security Numbers, or bank information.
Do not invite them into your home.
They will have a badge, and carry a black bag with US Census Bureau on it.
Check the web site for further details: http://2010.census.gov/2010census/index.php.
If you have NOT received your census form by April 12, call one of the toll free assistance lines:
* ENGLISH – 1-866-872-6868
* Chinese: 1-866-935-2010
* Korean: 1-866-955-2010
* Russian: 1-866-965-2010
* Spanish: 1-866-928-2010
* Vietnamese: 1-866-945-2010
* TDD (Telephone Display Device for the hearing impaired):
1-866-783-2010
* Puerto Rico (in English): 1-866-939-2010
* Puerto Rico (in Spanish): 1-866-929-2010

Census Bureau Call Center

General Telephone Lines: 1-800-923-8282

As the 2010 census process begins, the Census Bureau is canvassing the country and administering surveys by phone, mail, and personal interviews. Census Bureau employees are gathering important census information from citizens. At the same time, identity thieves posing as Census Bureau workers are conducting numerous census scams. Since all U.S. citizens are required to participate in the census, it’s easier than ever for identity thieves to take advantage of unsuspecting people with census scams.

The big question is – how do you tell the difference between a U.S. Census worker and a con artist?

** If a U.S. Census worker knocks on your door, they will have a badge, a handheld device, a Census Bureau canvas bag, and a confidentiality notice. Ask to see their identification and their badge before answering their questions. However, you should never invite anyone you don’t know into your home.
** Census workers are currently only knocking on doors to verify address information. Do not give your Social Security number, credit card or banking information to anyone, even if they claim they need it for the U.S. Census. There are only ten questions on the 2010 census (http://2010.census.gov/2010census/how/interactive-form.php), making it one of the shortest census questionnaires in history. Census workers will only ask you for basic information such as name, gender, age, and race. This information is used to determine how to distribute approximately $400 billion to communities for schools, healthcare, and other services. The census data is also used to determine Congressional seats and redraw local political district lines.
***Census workers may contact you by telephone, mail, or in person at home. However, the Census Bureau will not contact you by Email, so be on the lookout for Email scams impersonating the Census takers. Never click on a link or open any attachments in an Email that are supposedly from the U.S. Census Bureau. Report the scam by forwarding the email to the Census Bureau at ITSO.Fraud.Reporting@census.gov.

Be vigilant. Protect your information. Learn more about preventing census scams from the identity theft expert, Linda Vincent, RN. PI.