Washington DC— U.S. Representative Mike Levin (D-CA) is warning constituents about fake U.S. Census documents being sent to North County San Diego and South Orange County residents. The misleading documents use terms like “2020 Congressional District Census” and “do not destroy, official document,” but they are actually sent by the Republican National Committee to solicit personal information and donations.
The United States Census Bureau has no recourse against this type of deceptive practice because they do not own the word census. While anyone can take a “census,” or poll, households will not receive the official U.S. Census until March 12, 2020.
“The official 2020 U.S. Census is a critically important endeavor – required by our Constitution – to ensure that every person in the United States is counted,” said Rep. Levin. “Every response to the official Census can affect how billions of dollars in federal funding are directed toward communities for things like health clinics, schools, and emergency services. The fact that any organization would deceive Americans about this process and undermine the official Census for political gain is disturbing. My office will continue to work with the U.S. Census Bureau to help ensure that the official count is as accurate as possible.”
The U.S. Census Bureau has information available to help individuals avoid scams and fraud during the 2020 Census. in addition to the decennial census, the Census Bureau conducts a variety of surveys throughout the year. More information to help verify those surveys is available here.