How can I make sure that an interviewer is really from the NSO?
NSO collects data by telephone, face-to-face (in-person), or through a combination of modes (typically based on respondents’ preferences).
What to Expect:
For ongoing or in-depth surveys with national coverage requirements, all selected households receive a notification letter before the start of a survey, informing them about their expected participation, the survey’s purpose, and its timeframes.
- In the case of short telephone surveys based on response quotas, notification letters are not issued, as interviews stop once the required quotas are met, and the full list of individuals or households to be contacted is not predetermined.
How to verify the source of the call and the Survey Interviewer:
The public is encouraged to always verify the interviewer’s identity before proceeding with the interview.
- If you are contacted by a Survey Interviewer by phone, you may ask for their full name, employee number, and the name of the survey.
- You can then verify these details by contacting the Data Collection Unit (DCU) at 2599 7369 or [email protected]. When reaching out, please provide the survey name, the caller’s phone number, and the interviewer’s details.
- For face-to-face surveys, interviewers are generally required to call and set an appointment before visiting a household. However, if they are unable to make contact by phone, they may need to visit the address in person without prior notice.
- In such cases, members of the public are encouraged to ask the interviewer to quote the reference number found on the notification letter sent by post. This number is unique and known only to the NSO, the assigned interviewer, and the selected household or individual. Verifying this number helps confirm the legitimacy of the visit. If in doubt, you may contact the DCU using the contact details above for verification.
- All NSO interviewers conducting in-person interviews must wear an official identification tag that includes the NSO logo, their photograph, full name, and employee .
Please be advised that NSO will only request data that is relevant to and within scope of official statistics.
NSO will never ask for:
- Bank or credit card details;
- Passwords or PINs;
- Any form of payment.
