The Income Tax Department of India has issued an important public alert warning taxpayers about fraudulent messages circulating online that falsely claim to offer income tax refunds. The department clarified that these messages are unauthorized and malicious and urged citizens not to click or share such links under any circumstances.
In an official post on its social media handle, the department stressed that any communication claiming to be from the Income Tax Department will never direct taxpayers to unsecured links for refund claims or personal data submission. Taxpayers are advised to rely only on the official income tax e-filing portal and authenticated channels for any refund status updates or interactions.
Key Points from the Alert
- Do not click on links in suspicious messages claiming tax refunds.
- Do not forward or share these messages with others.
- Always verify refund status through the official Income Tax e-filing portal or your registered login.
Tax experts explain that such fake messages are often designed to steal sensitive information like PAN, Aadhaar, bank details, or login credentials. Citizens are encouraged to report suspicious messages to appropriate cybercrime authorities and to use caution when responding to unsolicited digital communications.
This alert reinforces the need for taxpayers to stay vigilant and use only trusted channels such as the e-filing website and official government communications when dealing with tax-related matters.
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