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  Geebo 8:00 am on April 28, 2020 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Census, Scams ( 1,368 ), stimulus checks ( 19 )   

  Census scam takes advantage of stimulus confusion 

  

  There’s already enough confusion when it comes to the economic impact payment that most taxpayers are set to receive. Many people who still haven’t received their stimulus checks are trying to figure out if maybe they did something wrong to delay their payment. Leave it to the con artists and scammers of the world to take advantage of that confusion. This latest scam takes advantage of not only the confusion regarding the stimulus payments but also the 2020 Census. The scam would have you believe that you need to fill out a census in order to receive your stimulus payment, but that isn’t true.

  The scam works like so many others. You’ll receive an unsolicited text, email, or social media message that claims you won’t receive your stimulus package without filling out the Census. These messages will contain a link that will supposedly provide additional information. If you click on the link, several things could potentially happen. You could be directed to a site that will infect your device with malware, or you could be directed to a site that looks like the US Census site that is designed to steal your personal information. Either way, the goal is to steal your identity and not necessarily your stimulus payment. Although if your identity is stolen it wouldn’t be hard for the thief to claim your stimulus payment.

  As always, you should never click on links from anyone you don’t know personally. Even then, you should be wary of links from friends in case their accounts have been compromised. Neither the IRS nor the Census Bureau will send you unsolicited messages about your stimulus payment. Also, keep in mind that all US government websites end with the .gov domains.

  As we’ve been saying, the pandemic has been a boon for all types of scammers and cybercriminals. Now more than ever as consumers we need to keep our wits about us.

   

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  Geebo 9:00 am on March 6, 2020 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Census, Election ( 21 ), Scams ( 1,368 ), social media ( 79 )   

  Presidential candidate puts fake census ads on social media 

  

  Since the US census only takes place only once a decade, it gives scammers the opportunity to find a new generation of victims. Previously we’ve discussed how census scammers may try to either steal your personal information or get you to give them money. Then it may or may not come as a surprise to you that a member of the government may be using the census to try to get you to give them money, specifically to make donations to their presidential campaign. And what if we told you that not only was this person allegedly using phony census ads to solicit campaign donations but that they have held one of the highest offices in the land.

  Facebook recently removed a series of misleading ads that claimed to be from the Official 2020 Congressional District Census. One of the main purposes of the actual US Census is to determine the number of seats each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives. So by claiming to be an official Congressional district census, you can see how it could lead to confusion. not only that but the 2020 census, which starts March 12th, will be the first US Census that you can complete online which could lead to more confusion from the deceptive ads.

  If you were to click on one of these ads you would be asked a series of questions before being taken to the candidate’s campaign website where you’d be asked to make a campaign donation. Here’s a handy picture of what one of the ads looked like. We’ve edited the picture in order to remain impartial.

  

  While some may decry this ad as FAKE NEWS since anyone can buy a Facebook ad, a BBC investigation found that the ads were backed by the candidate’s official campaign and the candidate’s own political party.

  Those who oppose this candidate may be well within their right to say actions like this not only undermine an official government function in the census, but it also appears to severely undermine the Democratic process in America.

   
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  Geebo 9:01 am on February 14, 2020 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: BBB ( 20 ), Census, census takers ( 2 ), identity theft ( 107 ), Scams ( 1,368 )   

  BBB: Beware of phony census takers 

  

  The last time we spoke about the 2020 Census, we were warning people about fraudulent ads for census taker jobs. To summarize, you should never have to pay money to apply for a census-taking job. Official census-taking jobs are available to apply for free at the US Census Bureau’s website. However, this isn’t the only census related scam that you may have to be worried about. According to the Better Business Bureau, phony census takers may be approaching homes in hopes of gaining personal information from their victims.

  Most of us will be completing the census through the official means, which are mail, phone, or online. However, due to whatever reason, many people will not be able to complete or submit the census on their own. That’s where the census takers come in, they help get the government get a better representation of people living in your area. Just like with almost anything these days, scammers are said to be using the census to pose as phony census takers to try to obtain personal information from their victims.

  [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eq-FMB4epyw%5D

  Census takers will ask residents for detailed information, but what they won’t ask for is your Social Security number. They will also never ask you for money nor, will they ask you for your mother’s maiden name. The former of which is often used as an online password recovery tool and on credit applications. Real Census takers will have ID badges from the Department of Commerce with a watermark and an expiration date on them. You can also call 800-923-8282 to speak with a local census representative to verify the census taker’s identity. If you feel like a census taker may not be an official census taker it is recommended that you call your local police before reporting it to the Better Business Bureau.

   
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  Geebo 9:00 am on January 27, 2020 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Census, census takers ( 2 ), employment ( 36 ), job scam ( 79 ), Scams ( 1,368 )   

  Avoid this census scam in 2020 

  

  With it being 2020 and a new decade, the US Government is getting ready to issue the 2020 census forms. Each decade the government takes the census in order to not only determine the number of seats each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives but to distribute billions in federal funds to local communities. To complete this monumental task, the government often hires census takers to visit the homes of people who haven’t or are unable to complete their census forms. With the 2020 census upon us, scammers have not hesitated to try to take advantage of people who are looking for one of these government positions.

  Once again, the Better Business Bureau is warning prospective census takers to be on the lookout for hiring scams. Some online listings have already been discovered offering census-taker jobs but then ask for money for either a training or processing fee. These ads are not being placed by the Federal Government as governmental jobs never ask for any kind of payment upfront. The best these ads will do is send you a package on how to apply for government jobs or claim to prepare you for the application test but will not deliver any kind of actual employment.

  [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfL3992GvSw&feature=youtu.be%5D

  While this may seem like a once in a decade scam, these phony employment ads crop up all the time for governmental jobs. The most common of these scams is for the US Postal Service. However, these scams can also appear for other governmental agencies like the IRS, especially around tax time. It’s best to keep in mind that you will never be charged for applying for a government job and that these positions should only be applied for through official government websites. If you’re interested in becoming a census taker, you can apply for one of the positions at the US Census Bureau’s website.

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