Filing Income Tax return? Do not fall for this fake message offering refund

The Income Tax department has a warning for the taxpayers. In a Twitter post, the department is asking taxpayers to not fall for phishing messages promising refunds.

Deadline for filing Income Tax returns for the financial year 2019-20 is December 31. Miscreants are taking advantage by sending out fake messages that promise refund for the taxpayers. These messages usually have an email/links/forms to obtain one’s personal information as well as bank details. The IT department via its tweet is advising customers not to respond to such messages. “Any response is to be made only by logging into your e-filing account,” says the post shared by the official account of the Income Tax Department, Government of India.


Here’s the full text of the tweet - Taxpayers Beware! Please do not click on any such fake link which promises to give a refund. These phishing messages are not sent by the IT department. Any response is to be made only by logging into your e-filing account and NEVER on email/links/forms.”

The post also has a link to the official page of the IT department where one can report and learn how to identify fraudulent refund e-mail and fake income tax websites. The page has two exclusive disclaimers by the department. It says that the Income Tax department does not request detailed personal information through e-mail. Additionally, the Income Tax department does not send an e-mail requesting one’s PIN, passwords or similar access information for credit cards, banks or other financial accounts.

In case one receives an e-mail or find a website which they think is pretending to be of the Income Tax Department, then he/she must forward the e-mail or website URL to webmanager@incometax.gov.in and incident@cert-in.org.in.