Census opens opportunities for scams, fraud

Kris Kinkade
March 24, 2010

Last week, we tried to clear up confusion about how the 2010 Census works. This week, we hope to prepare you for the possiblity someone will use the census to scam you.

Personal information is sensitive, and the Census Bureau goes to great lengths to protect the data it collects. Any request for information will be clearly identified as coming from the U.S. Census Bureau. It is a federal offense for anyone to pretend they represent the Census Bureau. Before your household receives a mailed form, a phone call or a visit from the Census Bureau, you will be given a few days notice with a letter from the Census Bureau Director.

Fraudulent activity

Each year, Census Bureau employees conduct household and business surveys by telephone, in-person interviews, through the mail and, in limited cases, through the Internet. For example, one of the largest surveys the bureau conducts is the American Community Survey, which is sent to about 3 million addresses every year.

While it is getting harder to stop or warn against all bogus or false collections of data, here are some tips to help you recognize fraudulent activity or unofficial data collections. If you are contacted for any of the following reasons, do not participate. It is not from the U.S. Census Bureau:

Phishing scams

In an attempt to acquire sensitive information, such as usernames, passwords, Social Security numbers, bank account or credit card details, criminals may masquerade as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication.

Typically, an e-mail is sent out directing users to enter sensitive information at a fake Web site whose look and feel is almost identical to the legitimate one.

Remember

The 2010 Census will not be done via the Internet.

The Census Bureau never asks for your full Social Security number, for money or a donation and never sends requests on behalf of a political party. It has no need for PIN codes, passwords or similar access information for credit cards, banks or other financial accounts.

E-mail scams

If you think it is a bogus e-mail, do not reply or click on any links within the e-mail.

Do not open any attachments. Attachments may contain code that could infect your computer.

Forward the e-mail or Web site URL to the Census Bureau at ITSO.Fraud.Reporting@census.gov. After forwarding the e-mail, delete it. You will not receive confirmation the e-mail was received, but the Census Bureau will investigate the information and notify you of its findings.

Mail scams

Contact the United States Postal Inspection Service if you think you have received a fraudulent item in the mail.

You can verify if a mailed survey is legitimate by calling your regional census office regarding mail surveys and the National Processing Center for phone surveys. The "Are You In a Survey?" Web page on the Census Bureau site also can be useful.

In-person scam

Check for a valid Census ID badge.

Call your regional office to verify you are in a survey.