Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H. Bronson today urged state residents to avoid falling prey to scam artists intent on stealing your identity who may pose as U.S. Census workers.

The federal government conducts a census of all residents living in the country every 10 years, and Bronson stressed that it is important to cooperate in the effort as the number of seats in each state’s congressional delegation and the manner in which more than $400 billion in federal aid is distributed during the next decade depend on an accurate count.

However, it is an opportunity for scam artists to trick residents into thinking that they are government workers and steal personal financial information that can lead to identity theft.

“With a little caution and common sense, residents can protect themselves and their identity,” Bronson said.

According to the federal government, approximately 134 million households will be mailed census forms on March 1. The form includes 10 questions about your age, date of birth, race and whether you own or rent a home. It does not ask for your Social Security number or information about your taxes or income.

If you do not return a completed census form by April 1, it is likely that a census taker will either call or come to your door to obtain the information.

Bronson is urging residents to observe the following safety tips:

— Do not provide your Social Security number or any financial information, including credit card or bank account information, to anyone claiming to represent the U.S. Census Bureau.

— Never invite a census taker into your home.

— All census takers carry official government badges.

— Census workers are supposed to provide you with a letter from the Census Director on official letterhead.

— The Census Bureau will not contact you by e-mail, so any website that pops up disguised as a census survey is fraudulent. The Census Bureau does not solicit information over the Internet.

For more information about the 2010 census, residents can visit the U.S. Census Bureau website at http://www.census.gov or call the bureau’s telephone assistance center at 1-866-872-6868.

Source: Commissioner Charles H. Bronson