2010 Census Bureau Fraud Prevention Fact Sheet Developed by GA Department of Human Services

The 2010 U.S. Census has started. Cyber-criminals and scam artists are taking advantage of the census-taking event to separate older adults from personal and financial information that they can use to empty bank accounts and steal identities.   

What do you need to know to protect yourself?
Census forms will be mailed in February and March and will ask for a person's response by April 1, 2010 the official count day. From April to July 2010, field representatives will knock on the door of every household that DOES NOT mail back a completed 2010 Census form.

If a census form is completed by someone in your household, then NO ONE should come to your home claiming to be from the census.

How to Identify a Census Field Representative? The field representative must:

• Present an ID badge that contains a Department of Commerce watermark and expiration date. 
• Carrying a bag with a Census Bureau logo.
• Provide you with supervisor contact information and/or the Regional Office phone number for verification, if asked.
• Provide you with a letter from the Census Bureau Director on official letterhead.

If you have any questions regarding the person’s identity, call the Regional Census Center at 1-800-923-8282 to confirm that the person is an employee.

Why is the Census important?
The U.S. Census counts every resident in the United States, and is required by the Constitution to take place every 10 years. The Census Bureau must get a census form to – and a completed form back from – every residence in the United States. 

The information collected by the 2010 census is used to determine the number of seats a state has in the U.S. House of Representatives and what portion of more than $400 billion in federal funds a community will receive each year for things like:

• Hospitals
• Job training centers
• Schools
• Senior centers
• Bridges, tunnels and other-public works projects
• Emergency services

What information does the Census collect?
The 2010 Census will ask for name, gender, age, race, ethnicity, relationship, and whether you own or rent your home – just 10 simple questions. Your answers are protected by law and are not shared with anyone.

What does the 2010 Census NOT ask?
Field representatives will never ask you for your social security number, bank account number, or credit card number. Employees of the U.S Census Department can never ask for money or donations, enter your home, or tell you that you owe money to the government, even if you do.

Census field representatives will not contact you by e-mail. Do not click on a link or open any attachments in an email that is supposedly from the US Census Bureau. If you do receive an e-mail or find a Web site that you suspect is falsely representing the Census Bureau, forward the e-mail or Web site URL to the Census Bureau at ITSO.fraud.reporting@census.gov

If anyone posing as a census worker asks for any personal information, is aggressive, or tries to intimidate or coax you, you have the right to refuse to give information. If you feel uncomfortable in any way, end the conversation immediately and call law enforcement. Then report the matter to the Census Bureau Call Center at (404) 335-1555 or 1-888-586-9439.

For more information about the upcoming 2010 Census visit www.census.gov/2010census