LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) Recently, the Better Business Bureau warned consumers to watch out for Census Bureau scammers at their door, mailbox, and email.
Now, experts are warning of Census Bureau employment scams.
The Better Business Bureau, the Federal Trade Commission, and the U.S. Census Bureau are warning consumers who are looking for employment to be on guard for census job scams.”
According to the FTC, they have partnered with the U.S. Census Bureau to help job seekers know the recruiting and hiring process, to help you spot, avoid, and report scams.
Laurian Clause, with the Better Business Bureau, said, “If someone is proclaiming to get you in quicker or sooner by paying an application fee, you are not on the right site, and it’s normally a scam-related activity.”
The Census Bureau is recruiting to fill temporary positions across the country, but there are two key tips you should know:
- There are no application fees. Anyone asking for a fee to help you get a census bureau job is a scammer. Federal agencies never charge application fees.
- You can only apply for census positions online through the official Census Bureau’s website at 2020census.gov/jobs
“They will never ask for your banking information so you want to be very careful about if you are on a site that’s asking for fees, banking information, things that they can get you in sooner,” added Clause. “That kind of thing… Those are all catch scam-related words that you want to avoid that website.”
On the Census Bureau’s website, you will need to provide the following information during the application process:
- Your social security number
- Home address
- Email address
- Phone number
- Date and place of birth
“It is an application, as with any other job, and it’s only obtained online, you want to make sure that you are on the correct website because you are giving this very sensitive information,” explained Clause.
Here are some tips to help you avoid Census Bureau employment scams:
- Always be wary of work-from-home or secret shopper positions, or any job with a generic title.
- Watch out for on-the-spot job offers.
- Government agencies post all jobs publicly and freely.
- Get all the details and contracts in writing.