Income Tax News: The Income Tax Department of India sent out an important advisory recently for its taxpayers on Twitter. It cautioned them against falling prey to a rather common fake pop-up message that has been circling around, claiming it will not contact any taxpayer through such pop-up windows. These are simply one among the various ways scammers dupe people into giving out sensitive information. In case you see any such popup, please close it immediately and report the same on official website:incometaxindia.gov.in/pages/report-phishing.aspx. Taxpayer may also contact help Desk Nos. 18001030025 and 18004190025 for assistance.
Identifying and Reporting Scams
Of late, there has been a spurt in phishing scams where fraudsters send fake messages or emails in the name of the Income Tax Department. “Most of these scams are sent with malafide intentions to get the users to click on links or disclose personal information.”.. Therefore, members of the general public are advised that bona fide communications from the department would never be sent through popup messages,” it clarified.
What To Do
If you see any such pop-up message like this, supposedly from the Income Tax Department:
- Do Not Engage: Do not click on any links or provide any information.
- Close the Pop-Up: Immediately close the pop-up window.
- Report the Incident: Visit the official reporting page and provide details of the suspicious activity.
- Contact the Helpline: In case you are located elsewhere or need help, call 18001030025 or 18004190025
Precautions from Scams
The following precautions may be taken to safeguard oneself from phishing and other internet scams:
Verify the Source: Check the sender’s email address or the message source. All e-mail messages/letters coming from the Income-tax Department are sent from official email-ids.
Use the Official Website: When entering into any Tax-related activity on line, Always log on to the official website of the Income Tax Department, for which bookmark the website so as to avoid visiting any other fraudulent website.
Beware of Urgency: Scammers create a view that the situation is urgent in order to trigger a target into doing the action which they want their target to do. Be wary of messages that demand action immediately or with threats of consequence.
Never Share Personal Information: Never give personal, financial, or log-in information in response to unsolicited e-mails or messages.
Turn on Security Features: Run updated antivirus software and turn on security features on all your computers, smartphones, and web devices to enable protection from malware.
Know the current scams through the website of the Income Tax Department. Keep visiting for updated advisories from time to time.
The Income Tax Department hereby warns through an ‘Alerts’ on its website to beware and be aware. Follow the precautionary measures suggested in the above ‘Alerts’ and report such scams to them immediately. Just keep in mind that the Department will never ask for your PIN, passwords or other confidential information. So, be careful and do not reveal your personal information.
