2020 Census Scam Risk: What To Watch Out For

The 2020 Census is coming soon and scammers are already taking advantage of the opportunity. In about a month, families across the country will start getting information from the US Census Bureau, just ahead of National Census Day on April 1st.

“The Census has been going on since 1790, since the day of Thomas Jefferson,” said US Census Bureau Partnership Specialist Steve Hale.

Information will be going out to homes, telling people how the Census will work and how to answer the questions but scammers are already taking advantage of what people in Green Country don’t know about the way the Census works.

“Population matters and communities, individuals, need to know that what they are doing is their civic responsibility, they are required by law to do it,” said Hale.

The US Census Bureau website says they will never ask for your social security number, money or donations, anything on behalf of a political party, bank or credit card information or your mother’s maiden name.

“Every Census employee takes a lifetime oath not to divulge private information,” said Hale.

If someone shows up at your doorstep and you want to make sure they are legit, check for a U.S. Census Bureau ID badge with their picture on it and a department of commerce watermark. You can also call Oklahoma’s Regional Office to confirm.

“We want to make sure that everybody I counted once, only once and in the right place,” said Hale.

The Census Bureau will never email you and if you get a letter or phone call from someone claiming to be from the Census Bureau but you have doubts check https://www.census.gov/about/regions.html