NEW DELHI : After the income tax return (ITR) filing season is over, taxpayers have started to get tax refunds in their bank accounts. Miscreants have now started to take advantage of unsuspecting assesses by sending out fraudulent SMSes with phishing links.
Sample this. “Important Alert! Dear xxxxxxxx, the lncometax_Department requires you to click the link below to submit a formal request for the payment of your unclaimed and overdue tax-refund of xx,xxx INR. http://151.80.90.62/ITRefund.” Several taxpayers might consider this to be an authentic SMS sent by the income tax department to claim tax refund.
One such alert taxpayer contacted the I-T department and shared this SMS on Twitter and asked “Is it authentic?”.
Tax sleuths were quick to point out that this is a phishing message. “You are requested not to click on any such link or any other link which promises to facilitate filing of ITR or give refund,” said the department in its warning.
FCA, CWM (AAFM-US), CBV, CIFRS, R-ID, B.COM (H), RV* (IBBI)
Practising Chartered Accountant in Delhi NCR Since 2011. He can be contacted at ankitgulgulia@gmail.com or +91-9811653975.