Beware of Census Scams!

We, at the Chatham Avalon Park Community Council, want to inform all of our members, residents and viewers of how important it is to participate in the 2010 Census and fill out the 10 (ten) questionnaire form. At the same time, we urge you to beware of the scammers and fraudsters out there--and for what to watch out for:
Phishing:
'Phishing' is the criminally fraudulent process of attempting to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, social security numbers, bank account or credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication. Phishing is typically carried out by email and it often directs users to enter sensitive information at a fake web site whose look and feel are almost identical to the legitimate one.
Other Scams:
The Census Bureau does NOT conduct the 2010 Census via the Internet
The Census Bureau does not send emails about participating in the 2010 Census
The Census Bureau never:
Asks for your full social security number
Asks for money or a donation
Sends requests on behalf of a political party
Requests PIN codes, passwords or similar access information for credit cards, banks or other financial accounts.
How to report scams and bogus Census web sites
If you believe you have been contacted as part of bogus or fraudulent activity falsely representing the Census Bureau:
In Person Scam
Check for a valid Census ID badge
Call your regional office to verify you are in a survey
Email Scams
If you think it is a bogus email, do not reply or click on any links within the email.
Do not open any attachments. Attachments may contain code that could infect your computer
Forward the email or web site URL to the Census Bureau at ITSO.Fraud.Reporting@census.gov.
After you forward the email to us, delete the message. You will not receive a confirmation email after forwarding the information to us. However, the Census Bureau will investigate the information and notify you of its findings.
Mail Scams
Contact the United States Postal Inspection Service
Is your survey legitimate?
You may further verify if a collection activity is legitimate by calling your regional census office regarding mail surveys, and our National Processing Center for phone surveys. Other questions may be answered through our Are You In a Survey? page.