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03/10/10 Since 1790, the United States government has undertaken the monumental and constitutionally-mandated task of enumerating the population of the United States every ten years. Completing a Census form and returning it is a civic responsibility all Hoosiers share. The results of this decennial census impacts how $400 billion dollars in government funding is spent and the way Congressional district lines are drawn.
However, just as the United States Census is a tradition Americans have come to expect, so are the census scams attempting to steal money and identities from Americans. People who previously fell victim to census scams are more likely to be skeptical of the legitimate Census and may choose not to participate.
The U.S. Census is not taken over the phone or through e-mail and donations are never solicited. A typical census scam involves someone posing as an official census taker and begins by asking recipients general census questions and concludes by asking more personal questions about bank account numbers and income. This is just an example, but it's important to know that the 2010 Census does NOT ask about bank account information, salary or income, citizenship or immigration status, and you will never be asked to give a Social Security number. Any e-mail, call or letter saying otherwise is a red flag of a fraud and should be ignored.
Some legitimate charitable organizations or companies may attempt to capitalize on the heightened awareness of the Census season and use language in their communications that is similar to that of U.S. Census to draw attention to their message. While these may not necessarily be scams, it is important to remember what the U.S. Census is and what it is not.
The 10 question Census is one of the shortest forms in history. The U.S. Census Bureau has begun mailing the forms to every household in America and in extreme rural parts of the country, forms are hand-delivered by employees of the U.S. Census Bureau. The 10 Census questions below are the only official U.S. Census questions that will be asked. Any other questions are not a part of the U.S. Census and Hoosiers should not answer them.
1. How many people were living or staying in this house, apartment, or mobile home on April 1, 2010?
2. Were there any additional people staying here April 1, 2010 that you did not include in Question 1?
3. Is this house, apartment, or mobile home: owned with mortgage, owned without mortgage, rented, occupied without rent?
4. What is your telephone number?
5. Please provide information for each person living here. Start with a person here who owns or rents this house, apartment, or mobile home. If the owner or renter lives somewhere else, start with any adult living here. This will be Person 1. What is Person 1's name?
6. What is Person 1's sex?
7. What is Person 1's age and Date of Birth?
8. Is Person 1 of Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin?
9. What is Person 1's race?
10. Does Person 1 sometimes live or stay somewhere else?
Some people may have concerns about the confidentiality of their Census answers. By law, the Census Bureau can’t share your information with anyone — including other federal agencies and law enforcement.
Participation in the 2010 Census is important because every Hoosier counts and every Hoosier should be counted.
by Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller
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