IT Dept Warns Taxpayers About Phishing, Fake Refund Emails, and Fraudulent Websites
The Income Tax Department has issued an guidelines on its official portal, warning taxpayers about phishing attempts, fraudulent refund email scams, and fake income tax websites. The guidelines also provides guidance on how to identify and report such scams.
The Income Tax Department has clarified that it does not request detailed personal information through e-mail. It also does not send email asking for PIN numbers, passwords, or similar access information related to credit cards, banks, or other financial accounts.
Identification of phishing/fraudulent refund emails:
Below are some screenshots of fake refund e-mails that have been circulated on various social media platforms, which everyone should be cautioned of:
Advisory
Following are some precautions that the income tax department shared, which everyone must consider:
If an individual receives an email from someone claiming to represent or be authorized by the Income Tax Department, or one that directs them to an alleged Income Tax website, the following precautions should be observed:
- They should not reply to such e-mails.
- They should not open any attachments, as these may contain malicious code capable of infecting computers.
- They should avoid clicking on any links. If a link in a suspicious e-mail or phishing website has already been clicked, no confidential information such as bank account or credit card details should be entered.
- They should not copy and paste links from the message into their browser, as phishers can disguise links to appear legitimate while redirecting to fraudulent sites.
- The department also recommends using updated antivirus software, anti-spyware, and firewalls. Some phishing emails may contain harmful software that can damage systems or secretly monitor online activity. Updated security tools help protect users from inadvertently downloading such harmful files.
Reporting
Know how to report if you receive a fake email:
In case an individual receives an e-mail or encounters a website that appears to impersonate the Income Tax Department, they are advised to forward the email or website URL to webmanager@incometax.gov.in. A copy may also be sent to incident@cert-in.org.in.
Recipients may forward the message as received or include the internet header of the e-mail, which contains additional technical details useful in identifying the sender. After forwarding, the suspicious message should be deleted immediately.
If the phishing mail is unrelated to the Income Tax Department, it should still be forwarded to incident@cert-in.org.in. for appropriate action.