Beware of Free Tax Preparation Scams

As tax season heats up, there are several options available for free tax filing assistance for qualified taxpayers. Unfortunately, the numbers of taxpayers seeking free tax help have also created new opportunities for con artists and scammers.

This season, some taxpayers have reported offers of free tax assistance via email. The offers vary but generally ask you to provide certain information about yourself and/or your income in order to determine whether you qualify. The information requested is similar to the W-2 scam reported earlier by WalletPop.