Everyone Counts, but Watch Out for Scams Targeting 2010 Census

Have you received your 2010 Census packet yet? If not, it’s probably coming soon as forms were sent to 120 million mailboxes across the country in early March. The Census is a constitutionally mandated population count of Americans that has been taken 23 times in our country’s history. By law, the personal information taken by the census is confidential. The Census is publicized as a 10 question form taking about 10 minutes to complete. This seems like a short time to give when the data ultimately determines how federal funding is distributed to tribal, state and local government each year. Schools, roads, health care and other programs in your area are funded depending on your responses. Unfortunately, scammers have also taken the opportunity to prey upon the importance of the Census and victims willing to reveal too much information. The U.S. Census Bureau has issued this warning about fraudulent activities, including phishing scams in emails asking for Social Security Numbers, donations, requests for PIN codes, passwords or financial account information. These are not questions asked by the Census Bureau or its workers, and, as of right now, Census information is not gathered via the Internet. On the ground, Census workers may visit homes or hand deliver forms to some areas. Official staff members should be able to provide government credentials that include their names. You can also ask for a photo ID or another source to confirm identification. A call to the Regional Census Center can confirm employment or report suspicious activity witnessed in person or online. As a side note, our friends in Canada count too. A Census in that country is scheduled for 2011.