Trading Standards officers and police forces across Wales have issued a joint factsheet warning against bogus census officers. People will be required to take part in the national census, by completing a questionnaire on or around the official census day – 27th March 2011 – and generally the only time they will receive a personal visit is where they have failed to return the questionnaire. Even then, census collectors will have a clear role to assist and advise, and should not ask for personal details.
Official census collectors will always show their 2011 census photo identity card and leave a calling card if you’re out, reminding you to complete and return your questionnaire. They can offer advice and help about completing and returning the questionnaire and answer any questions you have about privacy and confidentiality. For those with sight, hearing, language or literacy difficulties they can offer help. They will remind you that taking part in the census is required by law and will give you another questionnaire to complete if you’ve mislaid yours.
The census collector will not:
- ask you to provide bank, debit card or credit card details
- call to deliver your census questionnaire: this is all being done by post
- ask you to leave your questionnaire on the doorstep or with a neighbour for collection
- ask for personal information other than your name, address and date of birth
- come into your home unless you invite them
- fill in the questionnaire on your behalf, unless you are unable to do this yourself
- leave a spare census questionnaire with a neighbour or ask them to provide personal or detailed information about you if you’re out
David Riley, Chair of the Wales Heads of Trading Standards said: “Our factsheet clearly explains what collectors will and will not do. This complements the official census website, which is full of good information. We don’t want to alarm people, but feel it’s important to recognise that there are doorstep crime opportunists who will take advantage of any misconceptions on the part of the public.”
The factsheet can be downloaded from www.tradingstandardswales.org.uk, or can be obtained by contacting Monmouthshire County Council’s trading standards section.
