Income Tax Dept Alert: Fraudsters Target Taxpayers with Fake Refund Delay Messages
Citizens are advised not to share OTPs or bank details and to verify all communications only through the official portal
Fraudsters are exploiting taxpayers’ urgency by impersonating Income Tax Department officials through fake emails, phone calls, and SMS messages. These phony communications push victims toward malicious links, seeking to steal sensitive financial details.
Taxpayers have to be very careful that these communications often contain links to fake websites designed to steal information, including PAN details, bank account numbers, and OTPs.The Income Tax Department has issued a public advisory warning taxpayers against a surge of fraudulent refund delay messages being circulated through emails, SMS, and phone calls.
In a social media post on X (formerly Twitter), the department has informed taxpayers against sharing sensitive information such as OTPs or bank details. They pointed out that this often contains minor spelling mistakes.
The Income Tax Department’s message on X reads that one such fraudulent message, “Dear taxpayer, your refund is pending. Click now to avoid penalty http://incometax-refund-claim.xyz”
Once clicked, these links can expose taxpayers to identity theft, banking fraud, and misuse of confidential tax information, underscoring the need for vigilance and verification through the official portal.
The I-T department informed that all genuine communications must be verified only through the official portal www.incometax.gov.in. Suspicious messages should be reported to webmanager@incometax.gov.in with a copy to incident@cert-in.org.in, and they also mentioned that they were available via helplines: 1800 103 0025 / 080-46122000.
Throughsocial media posts and press advisories, the Income Tax Department has emphasized vigilance, urging taxpayers to ignore suspicious links and rely solely on the official portal for updates. The advisory also directs victims of fraud to file complaints with the cybercrime portal and local police authorities.
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