Posted on 01/24/2010 2:36:37 PM PST by Hulka
Recently completed the census "long form" that includes demographic information. Sent it in.
Received this evening a call from someone saying they are from the Census and they are calling to verify information on the form.
I told the heavily accented mexican woman calling that I will not discuss personal information over the phone, that if they want to verify information they can do so by coming by my address and speaking to me directly.
She insisted I speak with her. I declined. She then said she can provide me a telephone number to call to verify she is with the census.
I said, no thanks, you could have easily set-up an "toll-free" number and again, I do not discuss personal information on the phone. I refused the number, as well, because I did not want to hunt for a pen and paper. It is Sunday evening, for goodness sake.
She said she was going to enter into my file that I am not cooperative and hung up.
These people, who the heck are they? Besides, it was clear from her accent that English was a second language to her.
(As a side-note, last year I was a victim of attempted identity theft and am very protective about my personal information.)
Ditto! This sounds like a phising expedition, where an identity thief tries to trick another person into divulging personal financial information.
From the Census Website: http://2010.census.gov/2010census/how/key-dates.php
March 2010: Census forms are mailed or delivered to households
April 2010: National Census Day—use this day as a point of reference for sending your completed forms back in the mail
April - July 2010: Census takers visit households that did not return a form by mail
December 2010: By law, the Census Bureau delivers population information to the President for apportionment
Whatever the form you filled out, it ain’t the official form. End of discussion!
Yup. . .this is likely it, from the Census. . . .yuck.
Post 77.
From the Census.
Especially when they ask for your SS number, DOB, mothers maiden name etc...
Accelerates toward the trash can if I get one.
2010 Census Cautions from the Better Business
Bureau
Be
Cautious About Giving Info to Census Workers by
Susan Johnson
With
the U.S. Census process beginning, the Better
Business Bureau (BBB) advises people to be
cooperative, but cautious, so as not to become a
victim of fraud or identity theft. The
first phase of the 2010 U.S. Census is under way
as workers have begun verifying the addresses of
households across the country. Eventually,
more than 140,000 U.S. Census workers will count
every person in the United States and will
gather information about every person living at
each address including name, age, gender, race,
and other relevant data.
The
big question is - how do you tell the difference
between a U.S. Census worker and a con artist?
BBB offers the following
advice:
If
a U.S. Census worker knocks on your door, they
will have a badge, a handheld device, a Census
Bureau canvas bag, and a confidentiality notice.
Ask to see their identification and their
badge before answering their questions.
However, you should never invite anyone
you don’t know into your home.
Census
workers are currently only knocking on doors to
verify address information. Do not give
your Social Security number, credit card or
banking information to anyone, even if they
claim they need it for the U.S.
Census.
REMEMBER,
NO MATTER WHAT THEY ASK, YOU REALLY ONLY NEED TO
TELL THEM HOW MANY PEOPLE LIVE AT YOUR
ADDRESS.
While
the Census Bureau might ask for basic financial
information, such as a salary range, YOU DON’T
HAVE TO ANSWER ANYTHING AT ALL ABOUT YOUR
FINANCIAL SITUATION. The Census Bureau
will not ask for Social Security, bank account,
or credit card numbers, nor will employees
solicit donations. Any one asking for that
information is NOT with the Census
Bureau.
AND
REMEMBER, THE CENSUS BUREAU HAS DECIDED NOT TO
WORK WITH ACORN ON GATHERING THIS INFORMATION.
No Acorn worker should approach you
saying he/she is with the Census
Bureau.
Eventually,
Census workers may contact you by telephone,
mail, or in person at home. However, the
Census Bureau will not contact you by Email, so
be on the lookout for Email scams impersonating
the Census.
Never
click on a link or open any attachments in an
Email that are supposedly from the U.S. Census
Bureau.
For
more advice on avoiding identity theft and
fraud, visit www.bbb.org
PLEASE
SHARE THIS INFO WITH FAMILY AND
FRIENDS.
My census name is Charlie B. Klawhammer my half brother is Jimmy Plowline our sister who was a friend of Johnny Carson is Kitty Litter. You don’t want to know our children’s names!
Yup. . .this is likely it, from the Census. . . .yuck.
There was another poster about a week or so ago talking about her mom getting one and spending a long time filling it out. It is much like the old census long form, very intrusive and asked a lot of questions.
Your comment deserves its own thread. It’s excellent advice and should be seen by everyone.
Tell her to bite ya.
And if any acorn type govt p.o.s. comes on your property tell them to get a search or arrest warrant.
We got two of these forms last April, about 3 weeks apart. We did not fill them out. When they started their phone calls, DH told them that three people live here and that’s all they need to know. We were threatened with penalties and having someone come to our house. We never got any visits, but the phone calls lasted for about three months.
The form was sent to “occupant”. They didn’t know our name, but somehow they got our phone number.
Thanks...
Totally fishing for information for identity theft. I got a call on my cell phone wanting to clarify my answers for the census form - a form I have yet to receive! I politely declined...
Now quit talkin’ ‘bout my kinfolk that way!
Ping for later
A little different perspective...
I guard my identity as close as anyone here. I have a home phone line that costs me a couple bucks a month that I give to anyone that needs a number. It doesn’t have an answering device of any kind, and my phones are set on silent, so if someone calls, it just rings and rings. My son and I both have our own cell phones.
I usually go to DC for business a couple of times a year, and at least once, will stay extra days and visit the mall. One year I decided to visit the National Archives to do a little family history research.
It was an interesting experience. I ended up spending 2 days there.
All I can tell you is I am grateful for what I learned about some of my ancestors from, among other places, the census. The names and ages of the people at an address helped me to keep tracing backwards.
And sometimes they listed country of origin and occupation which helped me get an overall picture of who my relatives were.
So while this year, I probably won’t give very much information, I may answer a couple more questions than I normally would have.
Not trying to change anybody’s mind.
I would have only answered questions that asked how many people lived at the address.
The long form is seperate from the regular census, they use the results to fund “special projets” such as minority set asides, and other crap. F them.
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