It’s that season again. The once-every-decade time when we all try and remember how the decennial census count works. It’s no surprise that there is confusion surrounding the census, but that confusion is something scammers are banking on. Here are a few tips to avoiding census scams. The Census Bureau will NOT send you an email with a link to complete the questionnaire online – if you get such an email, it is a scam. The Census Bureau will never ask you to for sensitive information, like your full Social Security number, bank account number or your mother’s maiden name. Finally, when you do get a mailing from Census to tell you how you can complete your questionnaire, look for the official return address of Jeffersonville, Indiana. Any other address is a scam.

Be a fraud fighter! If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.

Report scams to local law enforcement. For help from AARP, call 1-877-908-3360 or visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork.