The Press Information Bureau warns taxpayers to remain vigilant against a rising phishing attempt demanding Rs 6,000, emphasizing the importance of verifying notices through official channels to avoid falling victim to fraudsters mimicking the Income Tax Department’s communications.
The Press Information Bureau’s fact-check team has warned taxpayers not to trust a message circulating on social media that demands a payment of Rs 6,000, saying it is not a notice from the Income Tax Department but a phishing attempt. The alert comes at a time when many people are checking refunds or looking for outstanding dues, which can make a fake demand seem believable and prompt hasty action.
According to the warning, scammers often mimic official tax communications to create pressure and fear of penalties. The goal is not only to extract a small payment, but also to lure people into handing over bank details, card information, passwords or one-time passwords. The Income Tax Department has repeatedly said it does not seek sensitive information through suspicious emails, texts or social media messages, and taxpayers should ignore unsolicited requests for money or personal data.
The safest way to check whether a tax demand is real is to log in directly to the official income tax e-filing portal, rather than using any link provided in a message. That matters because genuine liabilities can exist for reasons such as mismatched income reporting or prior assessment issues, but a real tax bill does not make an unfamiliar payment link trustworthy. The department’s anti-phishing guidance also says taxpayers should avoid replying to suspicious messages, opening attachments or copying links into a browser, and should keep security software up to date.
If someone has already clicked a link, the immediate step is to close the page and avoid entering any further details. If sensitive information has been shared, the taxpayer should contact the bank or other financial institution at once, secure the affected account and consider reporting the incident to the police or cyber-crime authorities. The government’s National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal can also be used to file a complaint, while the tax department’s e-Filing Vault offers extra account protection through authentication methods including Aadhaar-linked OTP, net banking and digital signatures.
Disclaimer: This article is intended to inform and educate, not to recommend or endorse any financial product, investment or strategy. Please consider your own financial circumstances and seek professional advice where appropriate before making financial decisions.
