Census / Federal Survey Scam Phone Numbers
34 reported numbers impersonating the U.S. Census Bureau. Caller posing as the U.S. Census Bureau requests financial details or your Social Security number.
How the Census / Federal Survey scam works
Real Census Bureau enumerators call about specific surveys but never ask for your full Social Security number, your bank account number, your credit card information, or political contributions. Scam calls in this category use the Census name to extract personal financial information from the recipient or to push fake "federal employment" offers that require a background-check fee.
Common pressure tactics
- Asks for full SSN
- Asks for bank info
- Fake federal job offers
- "Background check fee"
The script you'll usually hear
Most census / federal survey calls open with one of three hooks: a fake "officer" or "agent" introducing themselves with a badge number, a recorded voice claiming an account or status has been frozen, or an aggressive demand to "respond within the hour" to avoid a consequence. The script then escalates pressure quickly. Recipients who push back are typically transferred to a "supervisor" who continues the same pitch with a slightly more authoritative tone — there is rarely a real second person on the line; it's almost always the same call-center agent putting on a different voice.
If you receive one of these calls
- Hang up. Do not "press 1" or stay on the line — both confirm a working number.
- Look up the number on ScamDialer. If others have reported it, add your report so the next person sees a stronger signal.
- Report it to the agency the caller pretended to be. For U.S. Census Bureau, find the agency's official complaint channel and forward the time of call, the spoofed caller-ID number, and any voicemail recording you have.
- Block the number on your device. If the calls keep coming from new numbers, consider one of the third-party call-blocking apps recommended in our sidebar.
What it means when a number scores "Confirmed Scam"
The risk score above each entry combines complaint volume, recency, and the severity of the tactics described in the most recent reports. Anything 85+ is labeled Confirmed Scam on the directory: that means many independent reporters have described aggressive pressure tactics — usually arrest threats, gift card demands, or wire transfer requests — and the most recent activity was within the last few months. If a number scores in the 65–84 range we label it High Risk; 40–64 is Suspected Robocall; below 40 is Low Risk, usually meaning a single complaint or stale activity.