Wednesday, March 24, 2010

CENSUS SCAM HITS GASPORT

If you are a regular reader of my newspaper column you know what I think about the US Census, especially the long-form known as the American Community Survey. The information requests are too intrusive.

This past weekend I exchanged emails with a reader about the Census and I mentioned to her that it would be so easy for a con man to take advantage of the Census and send a similar survey to people, gleaning critical financial information from unsuspecting souls.

Well, no sooner do I say that and it happens, right in Gasport...

The Niagara County Sheriff’s Department this week notified citizens that a scam is in the works. A 70-year-old Quaker Road woman said she filled out the ersatz forms indicating Social Security number, name, date of birth, nationality, health insurance and income. After having mailed the forms, she became suspicious after she later learned that the U. S. Census does not ask for info like SSN.

So, be careful!