When out and about and asking folks about what they will do when it comes to taking the census I hear that some folks do not trust the census procedure.

April 1 is Census Day…the due date for American's to take part in the decennial national headcount.

Until then you'll probably hear a lot about, and a lot from the U.S. Census Bureau so it's good to take the census process seriously and be sure you don't fall into a census scam.

Census activity isn't limited to years ending in O, and neither is census fraud.

Census scammers contact you by phone, email, regular mail or home visits and they direct you to phony websites, seeking personal and financial information.

Like other government impostors they adopt the mantle of officialdom in hopes of winning your trust.

Along with its once-a-decade population count, the Census Bureau conducts more than 130 surveys each year.

The American Community Survey is sent annually to more than 3.5 million randomly selected homes to gather population, economic, housing and other data that helps determine how hundreds of billions of dollars in state and federal money is distributed.

What should you look out for? There are some things no genuine census survey or agent will ask…for example, for your Social Security, credit card or bank account number. They also won't ask for money. Any of these is a sure sign that a supposed census taker is trying to steal your identity, money or possessions.

If a census taker comes to your home they should have a Census Bureau photo ID badge with a Department of Commerce watermark and an expiration date and a copy of the letter the bureau sent you.

Stay firm in your decision but do take the survey seriously and, if you have any questions, call the Census Bureau number, 800-523-3205, 800-642-0469 to verify that a phone survey is legitimate.