Census takers begin visiting local homes

Local residents working as 2010 U.S. Census takers have been fanning out in Clark County since Saturday, going door to door and asking to speak with household members who didn’t mail back their forms.

The census workers have undergone FBI background checks and have sworn not to release the information they collect with anyone, including other government agencies. They face stiff punishments if they violate that law, according to a bulletin.

“We hire people from the local neighborhoods so they know the area, and so people feel comfortable talking with them,” said spokeswoman Cecilia Sorcy.

Local residents can ensure they’re being visited by real census workers by asking to see their ID badge, which has a U.S. Department of Commerce watermark and an expiration date. Folks also are encouraged to ask to see takers’ photo ID from another source than the federal government, such as a driver’s license.

In addition, household members can ask for the phone number of the visitor’s supervisor and/or the local census office, to check visitor’s names and verify they are legitimate.

Census workers generally will be carrying a black canvas bag bearing the Census Bureau logo.

Real census takers will ask 10 questions, which anyone can read at http://www.2010census.gov.

The questions include the number of people living in the home, their names, birth dates and race.

Legitimate census employees won’t ask for Social Security, bank account or credit-card numbers and passwords or donations.

Officials have said it’s likely that scammers will try to gain personal information by sending e-mails and instant messages; in fact, the census isn’t collecting information via the Internet.