The official count of everyone in Scotland starts on the 28th of February. Don’t be caught out by scammers attempting to gather personal financial information.
What could a census scam look like?
A scammer may request –
- Payment of money for a fine or fee
- Personal financial information, such as your national insurance number, bank details, or debit and credit card details
Census Scotland will never ask for money or personal financial information – If you receive a request for these, you can be sure it is a scam!
How do you know if communication claiming to be from Census Scotland is real?
You should have been contacted by letter in early 2022 to ask you to complete the census and tell you what you need to do.
After that, you will only be phoned, emailed, or sent a text by Census Scotland:
- If you have asked them to
- If you have requested something from them
Will Census Scotland visit me at home?
You may be visited by one of the Census Scotland field team after the 20th of March 2022 if you have not completed your census questionnaire or if you have been selected for the Census Coverage Survey.
Census Scotland will never cold call you over the phone for any reason.
Will Census Scotland Gather any personal information?
Although the census does collect some personal information, remember:
- you should only provide this information in your census questionnaire, either online or on paper
- you will only be sent a paper questionnaire if you have asked for one
Reporting a suspected Census Scotland scam
If you suspect you have been approached by a scammer claiming to be from Census Scotland, you can report this to: dataprotection@nrscotland.gov.uk
If you have made a payment, or provided any personal financial information, you should contact your bank or building society.
If you feel threatened or intimidated by someone calling at your property, you can contact Police Scotland on ‘999’ in an emergency, or on ‘101’ (non-emergency number).
Scottish citizens can also report suspected scams and suspicious activity at www.scamwatch.scot