Income Tax Refund Fraud Alert: In a recent tweet, Punjab Police issued an alert related to cyber scams concerning taxpayers. The message puts the public on high alert over fake refund messages in relation to income tax. Essentially, it is warning people to be vigilant and not fall prey to such fraudulent activities. The message says, “Fake income tax refund messages are in circulation. Real notices never have payment links. Never click on any links! Stay informed, stay safe, save your money.”
Example of a Typical Scam Message
Such fraudulent messages are those, which are tailored to appear as if they have been issued by the Income Tax Department. One of the messages reads, “Dear Taxpayer, The Income Tax Department has accepted your Income Tax refund of Rs 17,490 for FY 22/23. The amount shall be credited to your account number 5XXXXXXX6788. The amount shall be credited to your account number 5XXXXXXX6788 if it is not correct, please click on https://bit.ly/20wpUUX and update your bank account details. – ITDept.” This malware-infected communication is trying to trick a person into clicking the given suspicious link, which will redirect him or her to the phishing sites that steal personal and financial information.
How Scammers Exploit Taxpayers
The Punjab Police warning goes on to reiterate that any bona fide notice of income tax will never contain a link to make any kind of payment or demand sensitive information through insecure methods. As a matter of fact, bona fide communication from the Income Tax Department is sent only through official channels and will not ask its recipients through the message to click on any unknown links in order to verify or update their details.
How to Prevent Yourself from Falling Victim to Such Scams
Authenticate the Source: More than anything else, verify that any message claiming to be from the Income Tax Department or any official body is really from them. Check for official contact details and confirm the message with these.
Avoid Following Suspicious Links: Never click links or download attachments from unsolicited emails or messages. Instead, always go directly to the website of the Income Tax Department by typing the address into your browser.
Watch Out for the Following Red Flags: Be wary of messages which create a sense of urgency, or those seeking personal or financial information. Official communications will normally not ask for such information through unsecured methods.
Report Suspicious Messages: In case of any suspicious message, inform the concerned authorities immediately. This helps to take appropriate action against the criminals and also prevents other persons from becoming victims.
Education of Self and Others: Keep yourself updated about common cyber frauds and share your knowledge with friends and family. Awareness will definitely help in avoiding fraud.
Use Security Software: Be sure you’re running anti-virus software and keeping it current to protect against phishing and other malicious attacks.
The sophisticated nature of scams that has just recently come to the limelight is a reason in itself for bringing immediate public awareness and caution. The warning issued by Punjab Police is quite timely, reminding people to remain alert and examining with minute details any communication that asks for personal or financial information. These precautions would help people immensely in safeguarding their finances from these cyber frauds.
