CONSUMER ALERT

MIKE COX

ATTORNEY GENERAL

The Attorney General provides Consumer Alerts to inform the public of unfair, misleading, or deceptive business practices, and to provide information and guidance on other issues of concern.  Consumer Alerts are not legal advice, legal authority, or a binding legal opinion from the Department of Attorney General.

The Senior Census - Fact or Fiction?

Mailings Targeting Seniors Ask for "Donations" to Send Your Opinions to Your Congressional Representatives

Michigan seniors have received mailings informing them of an upcoming "Senior Census".  The mailings ask seniors for their opinions on several different issues.  The mailings also ask for a "donation" to ensure that the opinions of Michigan seniors are brought to the attention of their Congressional representatives.  Before you respond to these mailings, ask yourself - why would I pay someone to make sure my voice is heard?

"Senior Census" Mailings have been circulating for years - and show no signs of stopping

The Indiana Attorney General warned seniors of "senior census" mailings in 2007, and the mailings from 2007 are nearly identical to the mailings being circulated today.  Despite the fact that the census asks for the opinions of Michigan seniors on a range of topics, and asks for a "donation" to ensure that these opinions make it all the way to Washington, D.C., the census questions never change, and the opinions of seniors nationwide never appear to make it to our nation's capital. 

Please keep in mind that your state and federal legislators always wish to hear from you - in fact, their job is to listen to your opinions and translate them into action.  State and federal legislators go out of their way to make it easy for you to communicate with them, whether by mail or e-mail, phone or fax, or even a visit to their office.  There is absolutely no reason why any constituent should need to pay an organization to make their opinion known - feel free to contact legislators on your own, or as part of a group, but you should never have to pay to make your opinion heard. 

Contact information for Michigan Legislators

If you would like to contact your state or federal legislator, there are many ways to find their contact information and provide them with your opinion.

To find the contact information for your state representatives, please visit the Michigan House website at http://house.michigan.gov/, or the Michigan Senate website at http://senate.michigan.gov/. 

To find the contact information for your federal representatives, please visit the website of the United States House of Representatives at http://www.house.gov/, or the United States Senate at http://www.senate.gov/.

Contact the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division

If you are aware of a scam targeting Michigan seniors, please file a complaint with the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division.  You can also call the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division if you would like assistance in obtaining the contact information for your state or federal legislators. 

Consumer Protection Division
P.O. Box 30213
Lansing, MI 48909

517-373-1140
Fax: 517-241-3771

Toll free: 877-765-8388

www.michigan.gov/ag (online complaint form)