Scam of the Week: Safeguard Your Personal Data During the 2020 Census Season

It’s that time again. Every 10 years, United States residents are required to respond to the Census survey. The primary purpose of the census is to provide a count of every member of the U.S. population.By law, each household is required to complete the census survey. From a cybercriminal’s perspective, this is a perfect opportunity for their social engineering scams. Scammers might send emails or other messages that appear to come from the U.S. Census Bureau, or they might even pose as official Census Bureau workers and show up at your door!This census season, keep the following tips in mind so you can safeguard your household’s sensitive information:

• If you receive an email to complete the 2020 Census survey, delete it! The U.S. Census Bureau will only send the official survey notification by mail, or if your survey response is late, an official Census Bureau worker may come to your home to ensure you have received the census.
• If a Census Bureau worker visits your home, verify that they are who they claim to be. A valid ID badge should have the worker’s photograph, a U.S. Department of Commerce watermark, and an expiration date. If you’re still unsure, call your Regional Census Center and speak with a Census Bureau representative.
• Remember, the Census Bureau will never ask for the following: your Social Security number, your bank account or credit card numbers, anything on behalf of a political party, donations, or money.

Stop, Look, and Think. Don't be fooled.