During the 2017 tax season, California Tax Education Council (CTEC)  launched a new social media videos and a microsite that focused on education the public about ghost tax preparers. This public awareness campaign target tax preparers who do not sign client tax returns, also known as "ghost tax preparers". More than 80,000 taxpayers viewed and share the videos, almost double the number of views compared to the 2016 campaign.

Please make sure that when you have your tax return prepared for 2017, check the second page of your Form 1040 and Form 540 to see if the preparer signed the return and not self-prepared. Follow this simple step for your protection and to avoid cybercriminals get a hold of your personal information.