People were much more cooperative in previous Census years, so it didn't take nearly the time or effort that it takes now.

I, for one, am forever grateful to the folks who went from door to door to get the information; and to the folks who willingly gave the information about themselves, their family members, and other members in the household. Census records have been invaluable to me in genealogy research.

I would be very wary of someone calling at this late date to "interview" you. If they call again, get a number and call back.

I had to call this year when we hadn't received any forms, so gave the info over the phone. Was told that someone would probably be stopping by the house and to go ahead and give info to that person. Both people were very pleasant.

Just remember that you will not be asked for personal information---SS number, bank account info, credit cards, etc. It could be a scam. Not necessarily, but it could be.

Or just tell them to mail you the form instead.

they won't mail a form; the deadline for those has passed.
the census bureau has transitioned over to the in-person interviews, to verify your answers on the form. not everybody is called; i believe the bureau is just doing a random sampling to make sure that there is as accurate a census as can be, to meet the statistical acceptable "margin of error."
here's a link from a congressman's office about what it's all about (and what the interviews should not be asking you):

Here is a link that might be useful: congressman on census workers' calls

>> I would be very wary of someone calling at this late date to "interview" you. If they call again, get a number and call back.

She already did get a number and call back (she had a message from them on her answering machine). So, it's apparently legit. But - how was the phone answered when you called back? Was it official? I guess that still doesn't mean anything, but perhaps you could take the number and enter it into reverse phone lookup.

But I don't understand, either, why they want to interview you if you already submitted the form. Perhaps it's a glitch and for some reason you show as someone who didn't? Could be.

Suzieque

I did fill out the form and send it back. They still sent somebody out to "interview" me. He was pleasant enough, but it was intrusive and a waste of my time and his time. He was here for about 15 or 20 minutes. This is a business. No, no one lives in the building. And wanted info on the houses on both sides of us. Both are commercial properties, both are for sale and both are empty.

Once again...I wasn't counted. Didn't get a form, or a visit. Or a phone call. I didn't mind filling it out...had I got one, but was just kind of amused that I've never received one....and before any of you jump on me for being the cause of all the social ills in this country....save it! :))

A few years back, I had a census working calling me routinely like very couple months or so for about a year to ask questions. I think he originally asked if it would be ok, and if there was a question I didn't like, I didn't have to answer it.

He didn't ask anything too personal...the caller ID said US census bureau or whatever. I didn't mind helping him. I think they just wanted to track if things changed over the year and get some more details. We talked so much it seemed like we kind of became friends! He was funny.

I would only cooperate if I saw the person in person at my home. I would not give info over the phone. My limited knowlegde of census workers is they come in person, and carry an ID card with them.

I had a worker at my home, answered his questions, and NOW, for the past 2 months, about e-o-d, they call. I keep telling them I won't answer questions over the phone, even called the number back and talked to a supervisor - they still call, anywhere between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m., sometimes 2-3 times a day. For the past month, I have just been telling them 'no thanks' and hanging up. They haven't called yet this week.

I too would not give information over the phone but would check with the census bureau to see if that is a valid number/name. If the call again, just tell them you are visiting only and cannot give out information. They can send information to your home, but again don't tell them where you live.

Here you go. It's legit. The census has many different surveys going on, every year.

Here is a link that might be useful: Census info

Calls from the census bureau can be legit. I don't know if yours was... but they do contact people via phone.

Sometimes participation is mandatory and sometimes it is voluntary.

There is a lot of information on the site I posted. Don't necessarily assume someone is scamming you and that it's not the census bureau and that you don't have to participate.

My guess is that your call is legit. There's a very hefty penalty for impersonators, and it's really not worth the risk to find out how many kids you have living there or how much tv you watch. They won't/shouldn't ask for your credit card or bank account numbers... just use common sense. If it seems like a scam, call to check or report them.

Here is a link that might be useful: Census Site

I had a similar experience to redcurl's. They have called and left me multiple messages. Finally I happened to be near my phone one time and I answered it. They began asking me questions that it was obvious they already had the answer to. Who filled out the form? (me) What was my name? Did I fill out the form? What is my address? That's when I put a stop to the interview.

I asked if there was a specific question regarding something that they felt I had not filled in correctly. No. Did I fill out my form correctly? Yes. So why are you calling? To verify. So I was like, wait a minute, are you calling everyone to verify? Yes. You're calling every home in the U.S. to verify the form they filled out? Yes.

Ummm.... ok. I then refused to answer any questions and told him that in 2010 someone calling me on the phone who could not possibly verify their identity was probably not the best idea due to the very real possibility of identity theft. I would not answer any more questions. He offered to give me a phone number to call back but what good is that? HE's the one giving me the number!!

They still persist in calling and leaving messages but as far as I'm concerned, it's a HUGE waste of taxpayer's money. I just don't get it! I donÂt care if there is a legitimate census survey going on. How am I to know that the person calling is from the census bureau or just some scammer taking advantage of the fact that the census is conducting legitimate surveys?

I donÂt know if they were going to ask me for bank accounts or CC numbers. I didnÂt let it get that far. The fact that they are asking ME to tell them my name and address is already over the line from my point of view. ThatÂs not what I consider verification.

They have to verify a portion of the results... that's part of doing surveys and research. They need to verify some to calculate their final numbers and they probably can't spoon feed you that info. because it could taint the final results. It's math. It may seem like a waste of time, and it may seem like they have what they need ..but they have to verify a portion to get accurate results. It's not all about knowing who lives where. Providing them with the info helps others know where tax dollars need to be spent and on what. Does your area need another school, more police, a shelter, a clinic?

It's easy to see only the small picture, but there's a lot more going than you may realize. The only people wasting the tax payers money are the people that don't or won't cooperate. It's not that big of a deal and it's been going on for hundreds of years. Again, use common sense. I can understand people being put off by it or questioning it in this day an age, but it needs to be done to arrive at the closest to correct numbers possible. Phone calls are easier and less expensive to use than door to door confirmations. If you want to save money, answer their questions over the phone!

p.s...If they're a bad guy and they have your phone number, don't be naive, they can get your name and your address without having to call you for it.

I'm not naive and I can see your point. However, having been the victim of identity theft, I'm on high alert for people on the phone asking me questions. Yes, they can get my name and address if they have my phone number, but who knows what other questions they planned to ask me. The whole idea of asking me everything that I've already filled out is ludicrous IMO.

I guess they just picked the wrong person to ask in my case. I'm never going to answer questions on the phone to a complete stranger unless they can somehow identify themselves to me. I should not be asked to identify myself to a stranger calling me. It should be the other way around.

Anyone having a PO box normally doesn't get a form in the mail, so I did pick up one at the Library, filled it out, mailed it and sure enough, we had a lady knocking on the door...

A friend of mine had mailed her's in and then received a very detailed form to fill out...She wrote across most of the answers, none of your business and mailed it back..She received another one in the mail with a little note, could be fined or imprisoned if not filled out..She left it sit and then had several messages left to call them...She did give the form to a friend of her's that had actually headed the census and he was very, very upset about the treatment she had received, but said it was ligit....When she called back, she was told, within so many years everyone will be getting these forms...The forms asked everything, SS#, amount of income, banking, everything.....

I filled out the form and still had workers coming to my home to ask me the very same questions on the form. What a waste of tax dollars. Then.............they started asking me about a couple of the neighbors. Seemed a bit too "Brown Shirt" for me. I'm thinking their goal was not to have me answer the questions on the form all over again but to get info on the neighbors.

Here is a link that might be useful: Survey

They probably ask the same questions to verify that the information is correct...that it is a part of their research...it's not that they want to create busy work or bother you again...it is part of the job and the calculations. It's a double checking process to get more accurate figures. You think getting an accurate count is easy? It's not personal.

Do you think they really just want to annoy people and have people hate them? Really? You seriously don't think maybe there is a legit reason they are doing what they are doing?

I can understand some skepticism, but please, people, be kind to your census workers...

I wouldn't feel comfortable giving information over the phone.
I worked for the census in 1970, 80, 90, and 2000. Like Marilyn, I didn't get a form in the mail this year and never had a census worker come by.

I worked for the census in 2000 and did do several of the interviews by phone. The people had been left notices at their homes with my name and home phone # and called me--and yes I did answer "hello".

I obtained other phone numbers from information and was able to complete others that just hadn't been home when I was there. They also had notes left at their homes so they knew who I was when I called.

As far as verifying, it is necessary to verify a percentage of each workers interviews to be sure they are turning in honest and accurate information (actually doing the work.) Oh, and getting info about a neighbor(on the short form) was acceptable as long as we could give a reference that knew who and how many lived there.

They've always done some follow-up interviews. That's standard. But, of course, only a few people are interviewed--no way they could visit everyone.

And no, it's definitely not too late. Just last week, my dd had one show up at her door, asking questions about another resident in her complex who hadn't returned their form. Of course, she didn't give any info to him. And didn't really appreciate that the little old guy was very difficult to get rid of.

Do you think they really just want to annoy people and have people hate them? Really? You seriously don't think maybe there is a legit reason they are doing what they are doing?

It's all in how they go about it then, isn't it? Why don't they explain the process. We're doing this because... THEN ask the questions. I'd be a lot more receptive if I understood their reasoning. Just asking me to repeat the exact same answers they are staring at in front of them with absolutely no explanation is just not going to get my cooperation.

In any case, I will still not ever answer these kinds of questions over the phone unless they have some way to identify themselves. No way. Period.

It's the GOVERNMENT, people-- the government BUREAUCRACY. You're not really supposed to be able to decipher it!
Just think about when you filed your tax forms this year--how long did it take you to understand some of the new rules? (And I'm not talking to the people who took it to H&R Block).

Really, some of you are acting ridiculous. What do you think "verify" means? Have you never had to verify your name and address when contacting a utility company or your credit card company?

You've all been reading too many scare stories about identity theft. Nobody is going to steal your identity and open up 100 credit-card accounts on the basic info that the census people are supposed to ask you. And if you should happen to get that caller who is really a scam artist and asks you for your bank account number, then you hang up. But just do your civic duty--help the census work! Help tell the government where they need to put funding for your state!

I don't get some of you: You filled out a form and perhaps talked to someone at the front door, but you won't take 10 minutes to complete the process?

And, from Lowspark's example, these are the questions that make you think it's some con man, or that this is so intrusive and a waste of your valuable 10 or 20 minutes? Really, I think the Oprah show and even this chat board can wait a few minutes.

This sort of questioning is suspicious?
Did you fill out the form correctly?
What is your name?
Did you fill out the form?
What is your address?

My god! I can go to the reverse-directory at my library and get this info in 10 seconds! And anybody wanting to plan to burglarize your home and wondering if you live alone can just sit on your block for a couple of hours and figure that out. Are you also peeking out your curtains to make sure this isn't happening?

There are some bad apples in every bunch, but pls, use your intellect.

(And when you take a trip on a plane, when the check-in clerk asks you if you packed your bag yourself, does that make you feel as if they've intruded on your privacy?)

The gov't has already spent a ton of money on this. It's not going to spend more to send some other kind of form to guide you through this last step. There is a lot of official census bureau info you could check, if you can spare that 10 minutes to do the research. You've crossed the line from cautious to paranoid. Not everybody is out to get you.

This posting makes me livid.

pammyfay, have you ever been the victim of identity theft? I have, twice. It's not fun.

A person calling ME on the phone with no way to identify themselves to me asking my name, address, and further personal information - THAT makes me livid.

THEY did not ask me if I filled in the form correctly. I asked them. I asked what was the reasoning for them to ask me all the same questions which I had already filled out (which it was my understanding from the conversation that THAT was exactly what he was getting ready to do). His answer: verification.

When the utility company or my credit card company calls me for information, I can hang up and call the number on my bill, or out of the phone book, or on the back of my credit card, etc. I can call a number which I know to be official.

When someone unidentifiable calls me, can't identify themselves, gives me the number at which I'm supposed to be able to call them back, supposedly to prove their legit... well, sorry. This is 2010, not 1950.

Government or not, I see no reason why I should be compelled to give answers to personal questions over the phone to someone who cannot identify themselves.

Pammyfay--you are way out of line. I too have been involved in identy theft and it is not fun. I too refuse to give or verify information on phone. The majority of the people here are great. You apparently do not live in a large city or you are very inexperienced in dealing with the public. Sorry, that is the way it is.

"and to the folks who willingly gave the information about themselves, their family members, and other members in the household." HITLER would have loved to have a wonderful citizen just like YOU! The government ALREADY has too much information on me and all the information they need. I ANSWERED the questions on the Census form in FULL and TRUTHFULLY...it was info they already had...what I REGRET including was my flipping phone number....I have already filled out the form, signed it stating it was truthful and honest...I AM NOT willing to waste 10 minutes of my time RE-ANSWERING the same questions! IF a worker comes to my door...he'll get ONE warning to leave. I have done my part...NOW LEAVE ME ALONE! I'm a busy man!

I don't care if it's legit or not. I will not answer any questions over the phone for the census or anything else. Period.

I was shopping in TJ Maxx and overheard a young woman on her cell phone doing a census interview; she was the interviewer. I heard her ask the person if they had a mortgage on their second home. Of course I have no idea who she was talking with, but it just seemed such a public place to be asking someone for personal information over the phone.

I only answer my phone and answer my door to people I know or am expecting. Makes it easy for me. No stress.

Now I read in the newspaper that Census Workers have been sending in falsified reports to their superiors. I filled out my form in April and never heard anything. by the way, the form DID NOT ask my Social Security number or how many houses I own or if I have a mortgage. It was very straightforward. Who lives with you, what are your family members names, birthdates, ages and race.