The United States Census Bureau is readying itself for the 2010 10-year census, which will begin in March. Federal and state funding is based in part on the number of people who complete the simple form and return it in the time allowed, thereby allowing the federal government to calculate population for all regions of the country.

However, some who seem to want to gain financially from the national publicity for the census, have distributed unofficial “census” documents. The National Census of Senior Citizens mailed unofficial “census documents” to seniors and requested financial donations from recipients.

Local resident Julie Lamb, who lives off of Bicycle Bridge Rd. near Delphi received the fake “census” documents in the mail last week and became suspicious. She took the mailing to Delphi Police Chief Justin Darling.

“I was so afraid that older people would receive these and think they were the real thing,” Lamb said Monday. “There are so many elderly people out there and they know the census is coming.”

“I didn’t want them to send in money to these people if the papers weren’t real,” she added.

Congressman Joe Donnelly’s name appeared on the “documents” Lamb received because she resides in his congressional district.

Donnelly responded to the news when he learned that his name was connected with the “documents.”

“The National Census of Senior Citizens is not affiliated with the U.S. Census Bureau, or my office, in any way,” he said Monday. “This is a misleading scheme to trick seniors into providing their credit card information.”

Donnelly’s office said that the U.S. Census Bureau will never ask for:
• money;
• a donation;
• anyone’s full social security
number;
• anything on behalf of a political
party;
• pin numbers or codes;
• passwords; or
• access information for
credit cards, banks or other
financial accounts.

Donnelly encouraged mailer recipients to contact the Indiana Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division at (800) 382-5516 or online at www.in.gov/attorneygeneral/ 2434.htm.

Donnelly’s office said the congressman planned to file a complaint with the state attorney general’s office be- cause his name was a component of the mailing.

Regional U.S. Census Bureau Center representative Jim Accurso said that the U.S. Census form has just 10 questions. He said the U.S. Census Bureau is sending a three-prong mailing. The first mailing will be an advance letter to be mailed between March 8 and 10. The next mailing will be the census form and will be mailed from March 15-27 and the third mailing will be a follow up card as a reminder, which will be mailed March 22-24. The U.S. Census date is April 1.

“We never solicit for donations and will never contact you by E-mail,” Accurso said. “Our form should take about 10 minutes to complete.”

Accurso recommended citizens with questions visit the Web site at www.2010census.gov or contact his office at (312) 454-2700.