Census Frauds and Scams Tip Sheets

April 1, 2020 is Census Day, but census activity isn’t limited to years ending in 0, and neither is census fraud. Census scammers may try to contact you by phone, mail, or home visit, or even direct you to phony websites.

Along with its once-a-decade population count, the actual U.S. Census Bureau conducts more than 130 surveys each year. The biggest, the American Community Survey (ACS), is sent yearly to more than 3.5 million homes. With detailed questions about things like income, assets, job status, household amenities, even your commute, the ACS does set off scam suspicions but it is legitimate, and relatively easy to verify.

This factsheet is also available in multiple languages: