Attorney General, AARP ElderWatch Urges Coloradans to Beware of Fraudsters Posing As Census Workers.
Colorado Attorney General John Suthers and AARP ElderWatch has urged Coloradans to beware of scam artists using the 2010 Census as a means to steal their personal information, commit identity theft or commit other crimes.
“The Census is an important decennial tradition that will determine, among many things, the number of congressional representatives Colorado will have for the next decade,” Suthers said. “I would urge Coloradans to cooperate with legitimate Census workers but beware of those intent on using the Census to commit identity theft or other crimes.”
The information Census workers will collect, include your name; address, race or ethnicity, the type of home you live in, whether you rent or own your residence, your telephone number, the number of people living in your home and the residents relationship with the homeowner.
No Census worker will ever ask for your Social Security number or personal financial information. There only are a limited number of entities that can require that you turn over your Social Security number, including your employer and tax agencies, such as the Internal Revenue Service or Colorado Department of Revenue.
According to the Census Bureau, residents will receive an introductory letter before they are contacted in person, via telephone or mailed a Census questionnaire. Census workers also are required to display their Census Bureau badge, tell you the name of the survey you are being asked to participate in and provide a copy of the letter you should have received prior to their visit. (For more information, visit the Census Bureau’s “Are You in a Survey?” Web site: www.census.gov/survey_participants.)
Regardless of whether someone coming to your door is from the Census or not, Suthers advised consumers to not let them inside their homes. Often fraudsters or others will attempt to gain entry to a home to scope out its contents or plan a burglary.
Suthers and AARP ElderWatch also urged Coloradans to beware Web sites or e-mails that request information on behalf of the Census. The Census is not conducted online or via e-mail.
To learn more about identity theft, protecting your personal information and other related scams, visit the Office of the Attorney General’s Web site, www.coloradoattorneygeneral.gov/identitytheft, or call AARP ElderWatch at 1-800-222-4444.
“The Census is an important decennial tradition that will determine, among many things, the number of congressional representatives Colorado will have for the next decade,” Suthers said. “I would urge Coloradans to cooperate with legitimate Census workers but beware of those intent on using the Census to commit identity theft or other crimes.”
The information Census workers will collect, include your name; address, race or ethnicity, the type of home you live in, whether you rent or own your residence, your telephone number, the number of people living in your home and the residents relationship with the homeowner.
No Census worker will ever ask for your Social Security number or personal financial information. There only are a limited number of entities that can require that you turn over your Social Security number, including your employer and tax agencies, such as the Internal Revenue Service or Colorado Department of Revenue.
According to the Census Bureau, residents will receive an introductory letter before they are contacted in person, via telephone or mailed a Census questionnaire. Census workers also are required to display their Census Bureau badge, tell you the name of the survey you are being asked to participate in and provide a copy of the letter you should have received prior to their visit. (For more information, visit the Census Bureau’s “Are You in a Survey?” Web site: www.census.gov/survey_participants.)
Regardless of whether someone coming to your door is from the Census or not, Suthers advised consumers to not let them inside their homes. Often fraudsters or others will attempt to gain entry to a home to scope out its contents or plan a burglary.
Suthers and AARP ElderWatch also urged Coloradans to beware Web sites or e-mails that request information on behalf of the Census. The Census is not conducted online or via e-mail.
To learn more about identity theft, protecting your personal information and other related scams, visit the Office of the Attorney General’s Web site, www.coloradoattorneygeneral.gov/identitytheft, or call AARP ElderWatch at 1-800-222-4444.
