Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- Utah residents question the legitimacy of a mailer.
- The flyer from the Census Bureau is for the American Community Survey.
- The survey is legitimate, with options to respond online, by phone or mail.
MILLCREEK — A mailer demanding personal information is showing up in mailboxes in Utah. A Millcreek man who got the letter says he's worried it was sent by an identity thief. So he decided to Get Gephardt.
Once every 10 years, the U.S. Census Bureau counts the number of people living in the United States. That number determines how many representatives a state gets in Congress. But 2025 is not a census year.
It is legit
So, you can understand why Steve Jensen is concerned that an out-of-the-blue mailer from the Census Bureau might be a fake sent by scammers.
"Your address has been randomly selected," Jensen read from the flyer. "It is a mid-term census request."
Scammers have been well known to impersonate government agencies to try to rip people off. And the letter Jensen received has its red flags. For example, there is no actual form to fill out. It asks him to go online to complete the survey.
Also, it makes a lightly veiled threat – "Your response is required by law." Putting that sort of pressure on people is a common con artist gimmick.
Plus, it's signed by Robert Santos, who quit his job as the U.S. Census Bureau's director in January in the middle of his term.
"And I don't know whether Santos is still head of the census or not," Jensen said. "It could be a scam."
But rest assured, this flyer is legit.
Why it's important
The Census Bureau gathers information in noncensus years, too, through what's called the American Community Survey.
Arguably some of the most important data stems from that survey. It helps community leaders determine everything from whether there is enough housing and road infrastructure to the planning for teachers, doctors and emergency services, among other things.
Still, if you get a letter like a survey out of the blue, you're wise to double-check. The Census Bureau says legitimate flyers will have a return address in Jeffersonville, Indiana.
And, yes, they really are asking people to respond online. However, the Census Bureau says there are other ways to respond including by phone, regular mail or in-person interview.
The Census Bureau says it will never ask for your full Social Security number, bank account number or any passwords.
But yes, if you don't respond to this survey, the Feds could slap you with up to a $5,000 fine.
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