In the battle against scam artists, many of you question any unusual letters, emails, or phone calls your receive.
You're very aware that scammers are always coming up with new ways to trick you out of money or personal information.
So, when something shows up from the U.S. Census Bureau in August, 2015, some of you ask, "Is this a scam, or not?" Some of you reached out to Ruth to the Rescue with those concerns, and our consumer unit did some digging to get some answers.
2015 National Contest Test
The U.S. Census Bureau is conducting something called the 2015 National Content Test. Shrin Ahmed, the Acting Director of Decennial Census Programs
tells Ruth to the Rescue this survey is the real deal.
However, several people have had some questions. People like Barbara Wyrwicz of Sterling Heights.
"I thought it was bogus. I thought it was a way for them to get into the computer because census you return by paper. I couldn't understand why they couldn't ask the questions on paper," she said.
Instead the notice she received asked her to go online to complete the survey. That request made her uncomfortable.
"Nothing was ever said that the census bureau was doing a mid-decade survey," she told Ruth to the Rescue.
What's The Purpose?
Wyrwicz called one of our Ruth to the Rescue volunteers to get more information. Our consumer unit contacted the U.S. Census Bureau to get more information. The bureau said the National Content Test is being used to prepare for the actual census in 2020. It's testing questionnaire content and measuring self-response rates.
The test is also looking at which strategies work best, and trying to increase the use of the internet which is the least expensive and most efficient response option. For each household, the bureau is asking how many people live in the house and other general biographical data.
Wyrwicz says she thinks the bureau should have done more to publicize its efforts. "Had there been any media involved ahead of time, I probably wouldn't have questioned it," she said. She wished the bureau had done more to let people know the mailer was coming before it arrived in mailboxes.
Protecting Yourself
Wyrwicz took all the right steps to make sure she wasn't being tricked by a savvy scammer. She asked questions and found more information. Whenever you receive a letter, email, or phone call you're not comfortable with, do your homework.
Many times a simple internet search will bring up a treasure trove of information. Scam victims tell Ruth to the Rescue you can type a few key words, or even a phone number, into the search bar and you will often see complaints from other people who've been scammed. If it's not a scam, you might find information that makes you feel more comfortable.
Another approach is to find a legitimate, trustworthy phone number for the organization in question to get your questions answered. DO NOT use the phone number, address, or email listed on the offer you think could be from a scam artist. That contact information could take you right back to the scam artist or one of their colleagues who will continue to lie to you. Instead, find a number you know is the real deal. (For example, the number on your billing statement, or on the back of your credit card.)
For more in-depth searches, you might check with the Better Business Bureau or the Michigan Attorney General.
"I think it's a shame that we have to live in an environment where you question everything," said Wyrwicz.
It is a shame, but better to do your homework and ask questions before you make a mistake you'll regret.
This survey runs from August 24th through October 31st. Use September 1st as the reference date when answering the questions.