ITR refund scam: Income tax department warns taxpayers on fake messages, mails

ITR refund scam: The Income Tax Department (IT) has cautioned taxpayers to beware of scams. According to the IT department advisory, taxpayers should stay vigilant against online scams such as fake calls and pop-up notifications stating that they can avail of tax refunds.

ऑनलाइन धोखाधड़ी से सावधान रहें pic.twitter.com/UtGD7QAWLG

— Income Tax Mumbai (@IncomeTaxMum) August 15, 2024

In case a taxpayer receives such a fake message, they should verify the same with the IT department officially, the department informed in an official post on X.

“Do not reply to emails or visit websites that request credit card numbers, bank account details, or any other sensitive information. The Income Tax Department may contact taxpayers through the email address provided,” the IT department said on X.

“The fake message may read like this: You have been approved an Income Tax Refund of Rs, 15000/-, the amount will be credited to your account shortly, Please verify your account number 5XXXXX6777. If this is not correct, please update your bank account information by visiting the link below,” it added.

Taxpayers should send such fake and fraudulent messages and emails to IT department’s official website.

If you receive an email which you think is fraudulent, you must forward it to [email protected]. A copy can also be sent to [email protected].

“If you receive a phishing mail, forward the same to [email protected],” the Tax Department said.

IT department warned taxpayers to not to reply or open attachments of fake emails or mails from someone claiming to be from tax department. Taxpayers should not click any links or cut and paste such links into their browsers. People should also protect their sensitive information such as OTP, passwords or Aadhaar information.

Income tax refund

An income tax refund is the refund amount that the income tax department gives back when the amount of tax paid is more than the actual amount due. The income tax refund process begins after the return is e-verified by the taxpayer. Usually, it takes around 4 to 5 weeks for the refund to be credited to bank accounts.