Census fraud started a few months ago with phishing emails designed to get readers to fill out online census forms designed to acquire in-depth information used to commit Identity Theft.  But official census forms were mailed out nationwide this week and the census scam emails followed inviting people to throw away their census form and file online.

The other scam is sending an official email with an attachment that purports to be a census form, but actually is a virus designed to infect your computer and take over your email account.  This will result in your email address being used to send spam emails.

THE CENSUS BUREAU DOES NOT SEND EMAILS TO GATHER INFORMATION. IF YOU RECEIVE SUCH AN EMAIL IT IS A FRAUD. DO NOT OPEN IT !!!

Here is the information from the Census Bureau regarding online contact:

The U.S. Census Bureau will never initiate contact via e-mail. According to the Census Bureau’s website:

• 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, account numbers or similar access information for credit cards, banks or other financial accounts.

If you receive an e-mail purporting to be from the U.S. Census Bureau, do not open it. Instead, the Census Bureau recommends that you take the following steps:

• 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.

Census fraud started a few months ago with phishing emails designed to get readers to fill out online census forms designed to acquire in-depth information used to commit Identity Theft.  But official census forms were mailed out nationwide this week and the census scam emails followed inviting people to throw away their census form and file online.

The other scam is sending an official email with an attachment that purports to be a census form, but actually is a virus designed to infect your computer and take over your email account.  This will result in your email address being used to send spam emails.

THE CENSUS BUREAU DOES NOT SEND EMAILS TO GATHER INFORMATION. IF YOU RECEIVE SUCH AN EMAIL IT IS A FRAUD. DO NOT OPEN IT !!!

Here is the information from the Census Bureau regarding online contact:

The U.S. Census Bureau will never initiate contact via e-mail. According to the Census Bureau’s website:

• 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, account numbers or similar access information for credit cards, banks or other financial accounts.

If you receive an e-mail purporting to be from the U.S. Census Bureau, do not open it. Instead, the Census Bureau recommends that you take the following steps:

• 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.