CHARLOTTE, N.C. — We got this picture sent to us by Barbra S. that said:
"I'm a business owner and received this letter from U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau. It says I am required by law to register, enter a code, and complete a survey. Is this legit?"
OUR SOURCES:
THE ANSWER:
Yes, the U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau survey is legit for businesses to fill out.
WHAT WE FOUND:
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the collection period for the 2023 annual business survey is now open.
"They do the business census annually, but not every business is going to get this type of notification so it's just a sampling," Bartholomy said.
The Census Bureau said businesses are chosen for this survey, and those could include businesses that employ workers partnerships, corporations, or sole proprietorships, with annual receipts of $1,000 or more.
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"It's a regular part of what the census bureau does through the Department of Commerce to gauge business activity businesses are still in business and are not," Bartholomy said.
Bartholomy told our Verify team there can be scammers trying to impersonate this survey. However, looking at this form, you can see that it lists a . Gov website for people with questions, which suggests it's legit. But the survey itself will only come by snail mail.
"You will only receive this in the mail, so if you get an email or a text saying that it's from the census bureau, that is not how they work," Bartholomy said.
According to Bartholomy, this survey will not ask you for any personal information, so if you click on a link and you're asked for banking information or employee information, it's not legit.
Contact Meghan Bragg at mbragg@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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