Consumer Corner: Why Was The Census Bureau Calling?

September 1, 2014

Provided by the Bucks County Department of Consumer Protection:

Q. I am very frustrated about the frequency of unwanted telephone calls that I still receive even though my number is registered on the Do Not Call List.

With the latest one, the caller ID showed it was from the “United States Census”. I answered the phone and the caller started asking me questions including my age, race and where I work. I thought that it was another one of those scam calls and so I hung up. I then called the number back that had shown on my caller ID and I was very surprised that the person answered by saying “United States Census Bureau” (USCB). I thought that the census was only taken every 10 years and that it was in a form that I had to fill out. Are they now doing it over the phone? – T.P. New Hope

A. You are correct that the “Population & Housing Census” is completed every ten years. However, the USCB performs other information gathering census surveys in between such as; the Economic Census and the Census of Government which are done every five years, while the American Community Survey is done annually. Information from this survey generates data that helps to determine how billions of dollars in federal and state funds are distributed each year. During these calls they will ask about age, sex, race, family and relationships, income, education and health insurance just to name a few.

I believe that this is the call that you are referring to. In today’s world it is difficult to distinguish between a telephone call from a scam artist and those calls that are legitimate. Good for you for staying on your toes!