Question: I heard a news story on the radio that said scammers were posing as Census takers stealing personal information. I know your office looks into scams, have you heard about this?

Answer: I read a similar article in the newspaper the other day and was reminded that crooks will stop at nothing to get their hands on your hard earned money. The news story you heard was precautionary though, as there have been no reports of this scam to law enforcement yet. However, according to the Better Business Bureau, the phony Census worker scam is one of the top five all time frauds committed on seniors.

Census workers will not come to your home to count you in person unless you do not fill out and return the form sent to your home in the mail. If a Census worker does come to your home, the important thing for you to remember is that all Census workers will have official identification, a black canvas bag with a Census 2010 logo as well as a sign on their car. Census workers also undergo an FBI name background check and are fingerprinted to help insure that criminals are not hired to count the population.

The questions asked on the Census are very basic including things like name, sex, race, how many people live in the household, and if the home is owned or rented. You will not be asked for personal information like income, bank account numbers or your Social Security number. If somebody comes to your home claiming to be taking the Census and asks these sort of questions, ask them to come back at another time and contact law enforcement with a good description of the individual.

All information collected by the Census Bureau is confidential by law, and respondents’ answers cannot be shared with anyone, including other federal agencies and law enforcement entities. Census Bureau employees take an oath of nondisclosure and are sworn for life to protect the confidentiality of the data. The penalty for unlawful disclosure Census information is a fine of up to $250,000 or imprisonment of up to five years, or both.

The 2010 census will determine how communities will divide more than $400 billion in federal funds for senior centers, hospitals, bridges, training centers, and schools, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. One northern state lost a seat in Congress and about $2 billion in federal funds over the past decade as a result of a large portion of the senior population filling out the census form that was sent to their second homes.

I hope that all South Carolinians will participate in the 2010 Census. It is very likely that South Carolina will gain a U.S. House seat if our population has increased as predicted, making a big difference in getting our voice heard in Washington D.C.