On Tuesday of this week, we sent out a press release about the 2010 Census and how workers would be going around collecting basic personal information from every home in the country. Since that time, I have received a couple of questions about the forms that are going around for people to fill out, so I wanted to give everyone a little more peace of mind.
The primary form you will be asked to fill out is a questionaire that contains 10 questions and then additional basic information for the rest of the members of a household. A copy of what that questionaire looks like is here.
You may also see a confidentiality notice as well. It basically tells you that the worker who is taking down your information is under oath and that your information is protected by law. That form looks something like this...
The reason I wanted to show you these 2 forms is so you would know what a couple examples of a legitimate U.S. Census form look like. That way, when the time comes, you know what to expect when you fill out your questionaire. Also, if you see a form like the 2 above, they are not a scam and you can trust that your information is secure.
That doesn't mean if you see a different form, it is automatically a scam. I'm sure there are a few other legitimate document out there that I haven't seen, but if you have a question, don't be afraid to call the Department of Commerce. They are happy to answer your questions...believe me, I've done it myself.