Income Tax Refund Scam: How Not To Fall Prey To ‘Manual Verification’ Emails
Designed to mimic genuine correspondence, these mails are a phishing attempt meant to steal sensitive data such as bank account numbers, credit card details, or login credentials.
With the income tax return (ITR) filing season underway, fraudsters are targeting unsuspecting taxpayers through deceptive emails. Online scammers are sending emails under the guise of manual verification for ITR filing.
These emails appear to be sent by the Income Tax Department for processing refunds. However, the fraudulent links for ‘manual verification’ are a ploy to steal personal information.
What Is Income Tax Refund ‘Manual Verification’ Scam
Reports have emerged about emails purportedly from the Income Tax Department, notifying recipients of a refund, often mentioning attractive amounts. These messages state that refunds above Rs 25,000 need extra confirmation to prevent unauthorised payouts and ask taxpayers to verify documents or click on a link to proceed.
Designed to mimic genuine correspondence, it’s a phishing attempt meant to steal sensitive data such as bank account numbers, credit card details, or login credentials.
Official Warning
The Press Information Bureau (PIB) has issued a public advisory warning citizens about this fraud. PIB has made it clear that such emails are not from the Income Tax Department and that recipients must remain vigilant.
In a post on X, PIB wrote, “This email is FAKE! Do NOT click on suspicious links or share personal, financial, or sensitive information via email, SMS, or call.”
How To Spot A Phishing Email
Here are some key signs that an email might not be legitimate:
Requests for sensitive data: The Income Tax department never asks for personal details like passwords or bank PINs through email.
Suspicious sender addresses: Genuine government emails come from official domains ending in .gov.in. Watch for subtle misspellings or extra characters.
Poor language and formatting: Spelling errors, odd punctuation, or clumsy language are red flags.
Unsolicited attachments or links: These could contain malware or redirect you to fake websites.
How Not To Fall Prey
Income Tax Department has issued a few guidelines for handling phishing emails:
· Do not respond to any email claiming to be from the department or directing you to an Income Tax website.
· Avoid opening attachments, as they may contain malicious software that can harm your device.
· Do not click on any links in the email.
· If you’ve already clicked a suspicious link, do not enter any personal or financial details such as bank account or credit card information.
· Never copy and paste links from such emails into your browser. These links may appear legitimate, but can redirect you to fake websites designed to steal your data.
Use up-to-date antivirus, antispyware and firewall protection. Phishing emails can carry harmful software that monitors your online activity or infects your system without your knowledge. Reliable security software can help protect against such threats.
Report the phishing attempt here: https://incometaxindia.gov.in/pages/report-phishing.aspx
Scammers prey on urgency and greed. If something sounds too good to be true, like a surprise tax refund, it should raise an alarm. If you have any pending refunds, it’s advisable to track the status through the e-filing portal of the I-T Department.
