It's a con artist's dream. After years of learning to lock doors and install burglar alarms, Americans are being told it's their patriotic duty to open their homes to strangers.

It's the U.S. Census 1990, and some swindlers are taking advantage:- An 80-year-old North Carolina woman was tied up and robbed by two men she thought were census workers.

- People claiming to be census employees charged Houston residents $50 after helping them complete their forms.

Census officials say such scams have to be expected.

"When you do something this massive, there's someone who will figure an angle to get money from it," said Noe Balli of the census' regional office in Dallas. He warned, "Anybody who wants money, they're obviously not census employees."

There are 200,000 to 230,000 official census enumerators combing the countryside, knocking on doors of those who failed to complete the form sent out this spring, according to Mark Mangold of census headquarters.

Each worker is armed with a red, white and blue badge identifying the holder by name and I.D. number as a "U.S. Census Enumerator." In addition, each worker carries a large black satchel with a red, white and blue patch that says U.S. Census 1990, said Ray Bancroft of the census promotion office.

To keep from becoming the victim of an impostor, people should demand to see identification and, if they have questions, they should call the local census office for verification or call the police before allowing the person inside their home, census officials said. Bancroft noted that impersonating a census worker carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison and a $1,000 fine.

There have been isolated incidents of con artists during every census, Bancroft said, and this year is no different. However, FBI spokeswoman Kelley Cibulas said there is no reason for panic because the impostors have been few in number.

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But some people have not been wary enough.

In Houston, people identifying themselves as census workers went to homes and helped the occupants complete the questionnaires. Then they charged them $50 for the help, Balli said. The so-called census workers didn't even have copies of the questionnaire but used those sent to the residents, he said.

Another Houston resident complained, meanwhile, that someone identifying himself as a census worker telephoned seeking credit information and credit card numbers, Balli said.

Nevada residents complained about a mailing that said "Official Census Form" on the envelope but actually was sent by a clothing manufacturer.

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