Illinois SMP Fraud Alert logo
February 24, 2020
Avoid Census Scams this Spring
As the Census comes upon us in the coming months we want to help protect you from any potentials scams that fraudsters could use during this time period.

One of the scams that fraudsters are using using is sending out a fake questionnaire to Medicare beneficiaries asking for their Medicare number and other personal information. Medicare will never call you unsolicited or send you any mail unsolicited.

To verify that mail received from the Census Bureau is legitimate look for these key details:
  • Look for either the U.S. Department of Commerce or the U.S. Census Bureau in the return address.
  • Check that the return address is located in Jeffersonville, IN.

You can read more on these potential scams from The Dallas Morning News here.
Watching Your Mailbox: How the Census
Will Contact You
In a few weeks, people living in America will start getting letters inviting them to complete the 2020 Census. To see a timeline of how the Census will contact you, see page 2 of this handout from the Census Bureau. 

Here are a few tips to remember:

  • In mid-March, the Census will mail you an invitation to complete the 2020 Census. Here is a sample of the letter you should receive. It will include a link to complete the Census online and a phone number to call.
  • If you do not respond to this invitation, you will continue to get mail from the Census. If you want to respond via a mailed paper questionnaire, just wait. In early to mid-April, the Census Bureau will mail paper questionnaires to households that have not responded. The mail continues until your household completes the Census.
  • The Census Bureau does not email you to complete the 2020 Census. Even though this is the first year the Census can be completed online, the invitation to go online will only come to you via traditional mail. Any email claiming to be from the Census Bureau and asking you to share information should be viewed as potential fraud. 

Completing the Census is important for you and your community. Learn more about the 2020 Census here.
Have a wonderful week!

Travis Trumitch
travis.trumitch@ageoptions.org
Please share this Fraud Alert with colleagues, consumers, or other professionals in your area. If you would like to sign up to receive the Fraud Alert directly, visit click here.

This project was supported, in part by grant number 90MPPG0036, from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official Administration for Community Living policy.
The Illinois SMP at AgeOptions partners with agencies across the state to empower and assist Medicare beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers to prevent, detect, and report health care fraud, errors, and abuse through outreach, counseling, and education.

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