“‘Like most large organizations, we have seen e-mail scams and phishing attacks that cite the U.S. Census Bureau,’ agency spokesman Neil Tillman wrote in an e-mail.

The Census Bureau stresses that it will not request personal information from you via e-mail, such as PIN codes, passwords, Social Security numbers, credit-card numbers or other financial account information.

A news-based phishing scheme like this one is one of several risks you face online. Cybercriminals have gotten craftier, often looking toward popular trends and events — such as tax season, the mortgage meltdown and the growth of social media — to scam people into giving them sensitive information. “

(Will your privacy be compromised online? – CNN.com)