Another online scam

[Pat-inCO]

Got a "letter" in the mail today, ostensibly from the census bureau. Naturally it had admonishments
of what would happen if you didn't answer. I took it as genuine, and started answering their questions.
When they got to the point of how much I made ($$s) and how much I paid for various items, I switched
to a consistent answer of $99. After about ten or twelve of those I closed down my browser and then shut
down my computer.

It . . . . might . . . . be genuine, but far too many of their questions were FAR into the grey areas.
If I suddenly disappear, you will know it was genuine. Otherwise WATCH OUT!
(I gave them an old phone number that was disconnected two years ago, and an E-mail address
that is a forwarding address that I can go into and stop any garbage that comes along.)

The mail return address is U.S. Census Bureau, 1201 E. 10th St. Jeffersonville, IN
For what little that is probably worth.

 

[Jeepnik]

The census as originally constituted was solely for obtaining a head count. Somewhere along the way they started intruding on our personal business.

The federal and some states already know what you make. And how I spend my money is none of their darned business.

 

[Kevin]

I bought a car in January. A couple weeks ago, I got a survey/questioner in the mail about people who buy cars and so on. It seemed legitimate, but same. I didn’t fill it out because they got into how much money per household and what we spend our money on, etc. Nope, I’m not going to help them do their job, or do it for them. They don’t need to know how much we make and how we spend our discretionary income etc.

 

[KIR]

Usually, I just say, I am independently wealthy. Any junk mail I get thereafter goes into file 13, then used as good starting material for my backyard firepit.

 

[Mobuck]

I've not seen an actual CENSUS data collection form. The address for 'other' nationwide data input is in Jeffersonville IN but I'm not allowed to give the specifics.
For those who say otherwise, the census is not only a 'head count' but a way of determining number of persons living at one residence, income level of individual residences, age and employment status of 'head of household', and lots of other information important to everything involving access to and use of Federal money.
Do as you wish but don't complain if your streets aren't maintained, your water pressure seems inadequate, 1/2 your street lights are turned off, that busy intersection that always clogs about 'going to work' time, or there's not enough handicap parking spaces at the library.

 

[Fox Mike]

I believe if I had received such a letter I would have made a phone call to verify it's authenticity.

 

[Bob Wright]

I got a message in my gmail to the effect that my McAfee account was expiring and to open up to renew. McAfee stated that was a suspicious site!

Bob Wright

 

[Dave P.]

Sounds like the American Community Survey, if it is it's likely legit. It's an ongoing thing, they send out two S%^$loads of them every year.
Technically you're supposed to answer it....real world let em prove it got delivered.
Sounds like it came in mail vs. online like your topic heading ???

 

[Jeepnik]

I've not seen an actual CENSUS data collection form. The address for 'other' nationwide data input is in Jeffersonville IN but I'm not allowed to give the specifics.
For those who say otherwise, the census is not only a 'head count' but a way of determining number of persons living at one residence, income level of individual residences, age and employment status of 'head of household', and lots of other information important to everything involving access to and use of Federal money.
Do as you wish but don't complain if your streets aren't maintained, your water pressure seems inadequate, 1/2 your street lights are turned off, that busy intersection that always clogs about 'going to work' time, or there's not enough handicap parking spaces at the library.

And that's the sad part of the US census. It was a head count. One of the primary uses was to adjust congressional districts based on population. Now it is an invasive governmental abuse of power.

 

[Ride1949]

I got a message in my gmail to the effect that my McAfee account was expiring and to open up to renew. McAfee stated that was a suspicious site!

Bob Wright

I get that one often. I haven't used McAfee in over 20 yrs.

 

[Bob Wright]

I get that one often. I haven't used McAfee in over 20 yrs.

There's been computers for twenty years?

Bob Wright

 

[Mobuck]

"And that's the sad part of the US census. It was a head count. One of the primary uses was to adjust congressional districts based on population. Now it is an invasive governmental abuse of power."
The CENSUS WAS a 'head count' prior to all the government handout programs, ADC, WIC, and all the others. NOW the census data is/can be used to pick out specific areas that show a propensity for all sorts of population aberrations.

 

[Ride1949]

There's been computers for twenty years?

Bob Wright

Here ya go Bob.

https://www.computerhistory.org/timeline/computers/

 

[WYO1]

Don,t suppose 2-3 million illegal invaders from wherever whatever would screw any supposed "factual" numbers they might derive.

 

[mexicanjoe]

I actually got a letter from the census bureau, like 3 times! I then was informed that a census worker would be along to take down information. I advised them that failure to provide government ID would be grounds for removal from my property. Well, they lady did come up and provide her ID . She stated that I was picked randomly to provide certain demographic information. I went along with it.... somethings I told her I wouldn't answer, and she was ok with it. When she found out I work in law enforcement her attitude changed!! Always ask for identification!!

 

[Pat-inCO]

Always ask for identification!!

EXCELLENT idea!
I've received . . . three . . . follow-up notes. This latest one has hard copy to fill out if I care to.
They then say it is up to me to pay the postage, if I use the hard copy. SOooooo, I try to "finish"
what I started on line, and they hang up on "my pin" number. They say to try back in fiften minutes,
or to call them on the phone. I decided to make note of each time I try to finish on-line, and
after ten tries (or so) I will just wait for them to decide what's next.

Some of the "information" they want I will refuse to give them (one question is the amount of farm
income in the last year - - - living on 3.3 acres of desert, the answer is zero). Iffin they can not
figure that out for themselves, they are too dumb to even work for the government.