American Community Survey Causes Scam Scare

If you have received what you suspected was a fraudulent phone call from someone claiming to be with the U.S. Census Bureau, worry not; it could very well have been a legitimate survey.

North Judson Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry said that an elderly citizen had contacted the North Judson Town Hall and stated that she had been contacted numerous times by someone claiming to represent the U.S. Census Bureau and requested information for the American Community Survey. The woman said she was concerned that it was a fraudulent phone call.

Fortunately, Henry contacted the U.S. Census Bureau and discovered that the organization was, indeed, performing the survey. However, no news outlets were notified of the survey, causing those who were contacted to be slightly suspicious.

Henry says the bureau will be contacting a few addresses in the community to follow-up with this survey, which provides more detailed information than the regular census. She says the community needs to be aware that their address may be selected for this survey.

As always, if you feel you have received a fraudulent phone call, hang up and contact the organization that they claim to represent on your own to ensure they are legitimate. In this case, the U.S. Census Bureau can be reached at (800) 923-8282.