you might have gotten in the ma. Right now, some people
here in the Tampa Bay area say they're
getting a survey that looks like it's
from the US Census Bureau. But we're not in a census year Verify Viewer Denise in Saint Pete is one of them. Here's the notice she received o take the American Community Sur, which you can see says
is required
by law. So tonight we're verifying what this is and what happens if yout it and don't take it. I opened it and looked at it and where it said your response to the survey is required. I thought, I don't know about this. Denise Davis was so skept, she tossed the first
notice she received from the US Census Bureau to tae her American Community
Survey.
And it wasn't until I got a second note I thought. I better do something now. Based on our sources, including going directly to the Census Bureau and also the US Ce of Laws and Congressional Recor, we can verify this very much is a legit survey. The big moment for the census mt only come around every 10 years, but for every other year, for decades now, the Bureau has been asking much more detailed questions. It's really,
really important. Obviously the census gets all the attention every 10 years, but in a lot of ways this provis more information and is used. Or because it's updated
annually, the survey used today launched
back in 2005. It gets sent out each
month randomly to nearly 500 homes across the cou. The information they got from me is Denise showed us screenshotse took of a few of the
questions asked, and some do go beyond what you t expect, how much difficulty you have walking or climbing stairs. All in all, she said it took her about 20 minutes to complete. But about that required by law warning that chaps my chapt. I checked if anyone's ever actu. And fined or prosecuted for not filling it out. After all, the fines for refusig to answer can be up to five gra. But a spokesperson for
the Bureau
told me that no one has ever
actually been fined, and no one's been prosecuted
since the 1970s. Data shows the overwhelming
majority of people who get this
survey fill
it out, though. Response rates have dipd somewhat since the pandemic, and you can see the number of pe outright refusing to do it has steadily ticked up here in the t decade as far as Denise
is concerned. I believe it's important to col. I just believe the approach it felt more intrusive and unappreciative at the end of it. But like most things, there are scammers who are trying to use this survey
to trick you into revealing your personal in. So we do have the link
on our website here to take you to
the Census Bureau page where you can verify whetha letter or text or link
that claims
to be from the Census Bureau
is in fact real. You can also contact your Census Regional office ever to confirm.
