Consumer alert: US census scams

Alia talks with the BBB about US census scams

Alia talks with tim maniscalo, president and ceo of the better business bureau of central indiana.

With the 2020 u.s. census happening at the same time as the covid-19 pandemic, scammers are using both to take advantage of you and your personal information.

How does it work?

Scammers will send an unsolicited message via text, e-mail or social media messenger.

The message says in order to qualify for your stimulus money, you have to complete the census.

The message will also include a "website" for more information.

This is a scam!

The u.s. census and stimulus payments are not related... meaning you don't have to complete one to get the other.

By clicking the link in the message, you are running the risks of viruses in your device.

These viruses can give scammers access to your personal information, passwords and usernames stored on your computer.

How to avoid this scam: - know how the census bureau communicates (if you signed up already, they will communicate through e-mail.

Those e-mails never include requests for personal information) -only visit official websites (valid u.s. websites almost always end in .gov.) (for valid info on the census: go to 2020census.gov... for stimulus payments: irs.gov/coronavirus) -never click on unsolicited messages -report it to scamtracker.org!

Alia talks with tim maniscalo, president and ceo of the better business bureau of central indiana.

With the 2020 u.s. census happening at the same time as the covid-19 pandemic, scammers are using both to take advantage of you and your personal information.

How does it work?

Scammers will send an unsolicited message via text, e-mail or social media messenger.

The message says in order to qualify for your stimulus money, you have to complete the census.

The message will also include a "website" for more information.

This is a scam!

The u.s. census and stimulus payments are not related... meaning you don't have to complete one to get the other.

By clicking the link in the message, you are running the risks of viruses in your device.

These viruses can give scammers access to your personal information, passwords and usernames stored on your computer.