It’s that time again. Census time.
Here’s a bit of information about why you should be looking out for with regards to the Census:
Be Cautious About Giving Info to Census Workers by Susan Johnson
With the South African Census process beginning, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) advises people to be cooperative, but cautious, so as not to become a victim of fraud or identity theft. The first phase of the 2010 Census is under way as workers have begun verifying the addresses of households across the country. Eventually, more than 140,000 Census workers will count every person in the South Africa and will gather information about every person living at each address including name, age, gender, race, and other relevant data.
The big question is – how do you tell the difference between a Census worker and a con artist? BBB offers the following advice:
If a Census worker knocks on your door, they will have a badge, a handheld device, a Census Bureau canvas bag, and a confidentiality notice. Ask to see their identification and their badge before answering their questions. However, you should never invite anyone you don’t know into your home.
Census workers are currently only knocking on doors to verify address information. Do not give your identity number, credit card or banking information to anyone, even if they claim they need it for the Census.
REMEMBER, NO MATTER WHAT THEY ASK, YOU REALLY ONLY NEEDTO TELL THEM HOW MANY PEOPLE LIVE AT YOUR ADDRESS.
While the Census Bureau might ask for basic financial information, such as a salary range, YOU DON’T HAVE TO ANSWER ANYTHING AT ALL ABOUT YOUR FINANCIAL SITUATION. The Census Bureau will not ask for bank account, or credit card numbers, nor will employees solicit donations. Any one asking for that information is NOT with the Census Bureau.
AND REMEMBER, THE CENSUS BUREAU HAS DECIDED NOT TO WORK WITH ACORN ON GATHERING THIS INFORMATION.. No Acorn worker should approach you saying he/she is with the Census Bureau.
Eventually, Census workers may contact you by telephone, mail, or in person at home. However, the Census Bureau will not contact you by Email, so be on the lookout for Email scams impersonating the Census.
Never click on a link or open any attachments in an Email that are
supposedly from the Census Bureau.For more advice on avoiding identity theft and fraud, visit www.bbb.org
For more info on the census, visit http://www.statssa.gov.za/census2011/index.asp
Similar Posts:
- SPEAK UP! The SA blogosphere Census
- I marched against crime – the badge
- Global Pizza Challenge – get your entries in now
- Chris Cornell rocked SA & SA rocked Chris
- The story behind “It Does Not Matter” Viral Email
Popularity: 8% [?]
April 9th, 2010 at 9:07 am
@Nic
Seeing that you’re the editor and owner of this website, could you please do a bit more research before you post stuff?
This census mail isn’t even applicable to South Africa, seeing that our census only starts in 2011! Plus, there’s no “better business bureau” in SA.
It took me less than a minute to determine this is a hoax email.
I’m sure you could do better.
April 21st, 2010 at 12:40 am
I came accross the internet until I found your site, which I thought can give more idea about the census begins, until i finished reading this post without having some idea about it.
November 9th, 2010 at 9:07 am
* BBB does not exist in RSA
* Acorn is a US company http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/09/11/census-bureau-severs-ties-acorn/http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/09/11/census-bureau-severs-ties-acorn/
* ZA census is only in 2011
February 21st, 2011 at 11:52 pm
Amazing summary, saved your website in hopes to read more!
March 1st, 2011 at 6:17 pm
We stumbled over here from a different web address and thought I should check things out. I like what I see so i am just following you. Look forward to looking into your web page yet again.
June 19th, 2011 at 4:32 am
Nice post. I learn something new everyday. Thanks for sharing.
October 10th, 2011 at 1:26 pm
Nonsense. As Thomas Mailimene and Ilse pointed out. This is total nonsense. You need to do more research before just posting anything you come across.
Go to http://www.statssa.gov.za/Census2011/documents/Misleading_Communique.pdf
January 5th, 2012 at 9:32 am
I can’t tell if you’re wearing a shemaugh or a brown shirt…best Tera gold
February 8th, 2012 at 8:14 am
Just another example of Dylan’s point — there are 2 classes of citizens. And the human class is considered inferior.buy tera gold
November 30th, 2012 at 9:15 pm
SEOPledge, the marketing wing of Canrock Ventures, is looking for web properties interested in increasing their traffic. We specialize in traffic generation with the use of SEO, SEM, and social media. Come message us at our contact page on our web site.