RHINELANDER, WI (WSAU-WXPR) — The upcoming 2020 Census will determine how billions in government funding is divvied up amongst communities.
It will also present an opportunity for scammers to try to get their hands on your personal data.
Michele Reinen of the Department of Ag, Trade, and Consumer Protection tells WXPR Radio in Rhinelander everyone should educate themselves on how the process works, beginning with the invitation to participate. “In mid-March of 2020, the Census Bureau will start mailing out invitations to participate in the 2020 census. Everyone should get theirs by April 1. Everyone can respond online or by phone or by email.”
From there, workers will go door-to-door to fill in any gaps that may have been missed by the first round of counting. Those visits will occur in May, and workers can visit a home up to six times to try to count or leave a door tag with information on how to schedule a visit.
Those workers will ask a handful of brief questions, but if they suddenly ask for financial information such as bank account data or your Social Security number, you should end the visit quickly.
“[real census workers] won’t be asking you questions about your Social Security number, bank account or credit card numbers. Money or donations will not be requested. Nothing on behalf of a political party will be asked. It won’t ask questions about your citizenship status as well,” said Reinen.
If you complete either the online form or the postcard, there’s no need to do anything else and you don’t need to be counted by a census worker, so if one does come to your door it should be another red flag.
More information can be found on the 2020 Census website.
