'National Census' scam targets senior citizens

Some senior citizens in Congressman Bill Foster's district recently received what appears to be a scam letter in the mail that solicits credit card information and donations while falsely appearing to be authored by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The eight-page mailer starts with a header identifying the letter as being sent by the "National Census of Senior Citizens" and the "Council for Retirement Security." The letter describes itself as an advocate for senior citizen interests and asks a number of questions about political issues before soliciting a minimum contribution of $14.58 or more by providing credit card information.

The footnotes on the letter indicate the organization is affiliated with a group called "Our Generation," complete with a Web site address. A visit to the Web site reveals what amounts to a blog with no original content except for a photo of a woman with a large glass of wine that identifies her as the founder of Our Generation.

Foster's office investigated the letter after receiving some inquires from constituents and concluded the whole thing is a scam. Foster said in a written statement that the mailer is not connected to the government or the Census Bureau in any way.

"This misleading scheme is a poorly veiled attempt to trick seniors into providing their credit card information," Foster said in the statement. He advised that the Census Bureau would never ask for money or credit card information. Recipients of the mailer should call the Illinois Attorney General's Consumer Fraud Hotline at: 1 (800) 386-5438.