Wondering if That Weird Phone Message from the Census is Legit?

Did you get a weird voice messageor phone call that says it's coming from the United States Census? Is it legit?

If you filled out your US Census survey, you may have gotten a call from an unknown number asking you for some additional information about your survey, or they may have left a message that sounds a lot like some scam calls you might have gotten in the past.

Turns out, that call is legitimate. 

The call is part of a quality control program by the US Census. "This follow-up call is short, and all responses are kept strictly confidential. The Census Bureau representative will not be collecting any financial information or asking for Social Security numbers – they are only reviewing the responses you have previously provided on your 2020 Census questionnaire," reports KOTA.

I got the same call - and since I never answer calls that come from an unknown number - I let it go to my voicemail. The automated message that was left didn't do much to make me feel confident about the legitimacy of the call. I decided to look up the number I was asked to call - 844-809-7717- and it is listed as the Census.

Still on alert for fraud, I called them back. It's legit. They were able to verify information on my Census form, and didn't ask me to provide confidential info to them.

It's all part of the US Census effort to ensure all Americans are counted, which affects things like government representation for an area.