Fact Check: Fake Income Tax Refund Messages Circulate Among Taxpayers, Carry Unknown Link

Vishvas News (New Delhi): With the filing period for Income Tax Returns (ITR) for individual taxpayers, for the financial year 2022-23, having ended on July 31, the Income Tax department has intimated taxpayers about the status of their returns and possible refunds.

At the same time, a fraudulent message is also being circulated by alleged scamsters claiming that they have received an income tax refund of Rs 13,520 and that “it shall be credited shortly” to the account number mentioned in the message. The message further states that if the mentioned account number is incorrect, taxpayers should update their bank account information by clicking on a link given in the message. Vishvas News investigated and found the viral message to be a scam likely intended to defraud recipients of their financial data.

Claim

The message doing the rounds and gaining traction asserts that taxpayers have been granted an income tax refund of Rs 13,520. The message reads, “Your income tax refund of Rs 13,520 has been approved and your bank a/c will be credited shortly. Do kindly verify your a/c no 0XXXXX6045. If the same is incorrect, quickly follow the link below to update our bank record on file. https://bit.ly/2Cnnyv7”.

Investigation

Vishvas News started its investigation by reaching out to the Income Tax Department via email to verify the credibility of the viral claim. According to the department’s email response,  “A member of the general public has reported an instance of phishing/suspicious mail in the viral message. Please do not click on the URL.”

What is ‘phishing’?

According to the Income Tax website, phishing involves the attempt to obtain sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details by posing as a trustworthy entity in electronic communication. These deceptive communications often imitate financial institutions, popular social websites, auction sites, online payment processors, or IT administrators. Phishing is typically carried out through email or instant messaging, directing users to counterfeit websites that closely resemble legitimate ones.

The Income Tax website advises the following if you encounter an email, message, or website pretending to be from the Income Tax Department:

• Refrain from responding.
• Avoid opening any attachments, as they may contain malicious code.
• Do not click on any links. If you’ve already clicked on a suspicious link, refrain from entering confidential information.
• Do not copy and paste links from the message into your browser, as phishers can make links appear genuine while leading to different sites.
• Utilize up-to-date antivirus software, anti-spyware tools, and a firewall to protect against potential harm.

If you come across an email or website you suspect is impersonating the Income Tax Department, forward the email or URL to webmanager@incometax.gov.in or incident@cert-in.org.in. CERT-In is the national nodal agency for responding to computer security incidents as and when they occur.

Vishvas News also contacted cyber security expert Jitender Narula from the International Institute of Cyber Security (IICS) regarding the viral message. He said: “Users should always check messages if they are fake or real before forwarding them or clicking on any link in a message. The easiest way to hack someone is to send a malicious link with lucrative offers. This is a type of Social Engineering, where users are provoked by lucrative offers to read the post and click on the link containing the virus. Once the link is clicked, the virus is installed in the user’s mobile and they can lose their WhatsApp account or even the mobile phone data.”

On investigation by IICS experts, it is found that the Income-tax refund message has a shortened URL (https://bit.ly/2Cnnyv7) and that it is fake. Shortened URLs, which mask the real address of the website, are among the easiest ways for hackers to spread viruses, said the experts.

What steps should be taken to protect yourself? 

– Never click on any unknown link; think before you click

– Keep your browser updated

– Never click on a short URL or link with a lucrative offer

– Always have two-step authentication enabled on your WhatsApp and social media accounts

– Do not click on any link in a message from unknown senders

Conclusion: Vishvas News investigated and found the viral message about IT refunds, which asked for the receiver to click on a link, to be fake and a phishing attempt. Taxpayers are advised to remain vigilant when encountering suspicious emails or website links purporting to be from the Income Tax Department.

Tags

• Income Tax
• Income Tax Refund
• ITR
• Taxpayers