Here is what I posted on Jan 24th of this year (I got the ACS survey):
Recently completed the census “long form” (ACS) that includes demographic information. Sent it in.
Received this evening a call from someone saying they are from the Census and they are calling to verify information on the form.
I told the heavily accented mexican woman calling that I will not discuss personal information over the phone, that if they want to verify information they can do so by coming by my address and speaking to me directly.
She insisted I speak with her. I declined. She then said she can provide me a telephone number to call to verify she is with the census.
I said, no thanks, you could have easily set-up an “toll-free” number and again, I do not discuss personal information on the phone. I refused the number, as well, because I did not want to hunt for a pen and paper. It is Sunday evening, for goodness sake.
She said she was going to enter into my file that I am not cooperative and hung up.
These people, who the heck are they? Besides, it was clear from her accent that English was a second language to her.
(As a side-note, last year I was a victim of attempted identity theft and am very protective about my personal information.)
FOLLOW-UP:
About 2-weeks later I received another call, this time from some woman claiming to be from the Census. I told her I don’t talk personal stuff over the phone and she said she has three ways I can confirm she is who she says she is. I said, no way, it is your responsibility to prove to me who you are. It is NOT my responsibility to prove who you are, and if you really are with the Census, you have my address and drop by and we will chat.
Nothing heard. . . . .
There is a lot of fraud going on, so you did the right thing to not discuss personal info over the phone.
I hope others do the same.
Could The American Community Survey be some branch of ACORN?