Don’t fall for the ‘Dirty Dozen’ tax scams

I know I blogged about tax scams a couple of weeks ago, but since criminals work 24/7 trying to get your money, another scam warning bears repeating for a couple of reasons.

First, tax season offers new ways for scam artists to get creative.

Second, the IRS has released its 2011 Dirty Dozen tax scam list.

A lot of the schemes on the IRS' annual list are repeats. That's because the typical con artist appeals at tax time to two basic human emotions, fear and greed.

We're scared of how we did or might screw up our taxes unless we do what the scammer suggests. Or we find out we could cut our tax bill or get a bigger refund, again as long as we follow the con artist's tax strategy.

Don't fall for any of them.

I know it's tax filing crunch time. A lot of you are in a hurry to finish your taxes. Or you've discovered you owe Uncle Sam money and are desperately looking for ways to reduce that bill. Or both.

That makes you a prime scam tax target. But you don't have to be a victim.

Remember, as I pointed out in my previous scam warning post, the IRS never contacts taxpayers via email.

And be just as leery of in-person come-ons from crooks. Yes, as the IRS Dirty Dozen list notes, people purporting to be tax preparers sometimes are con artists looking to steal your tax refund and your identity.

The best protection, during tax season and beyond, is to be skeptical. Things that sound too good to be true usually are.

Related posts:

• Don't fall for tax scams
• $1.4 million refund stolen by ID thief
• Tax scams are back
• Tax phishing is target of new IRS registration rule
• Lottery wins, possibilities and scams
• Death, taxes and tax scams

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