Ottawa County Sheriff's Office
Public Awareness Information
The Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind citizens that they should never allow an individual to enter your home or business without proper identification for any reason.
Service employees with most organizations will be carrying issued identification cards. These cards should have the employee’s name and photograph clearly displayed. The customary practice is to schedule an appointment with customers should an employee need to enter a home or business to gain access to service related issues. Additionally, in most cases, service employees will be driving a company vehicle and wearing a uniform shirt with a business or company logo.
Please report any suspicious activity to your local law enforcement by calling Ottawa County Central Dispatch at 9-1-1 or 1-866-773-0911.
US Census Scam Warnings
Scammers will take advantage of any opportunity and the decennial US Census is a perfect opportunity for them. You should have received and returned via US mail your 2010 Census questionnaire. This is the only contact the majority of households will have with the census. However, some will have census workers follow up with them - click here for tips on how to tell if that worker - or that email is real or a census scam.
- A real census worker will NEVER ask for your full social security number, bank account number, credit card number, user names or passwords.
- The US Census will not contact you – or ask for you to contact them – via the internet.
- The US Census will NEVER send you an e-mail regarding participating in the Census.
- The US Census NEVER asks for donations.
- The US Census will not send requests on behalf of a political party.
- IF a US Census worker comes to your home they should be wearing a valid, US Government issued ID badge. ASK to see it!
- If you receive a US Census e-mail do NOT reply, click on any link or open any attachments. Forward the e-mail to http://www.ITSO.fraud.reporting@census.gov then delete the email.
