Fraud Alert! Beware of Income Tax Refund Scams Says Tax Department:

Fraud Alert! Beware of Income Tax Refund Scams Says Tax Department The deadline for filing income tax returns (ITR) has passed. Scammers are becoming active now. Reports show that fraudsters are using income tax refunds as a tactic to trick people. Those who have filed ITRs need to be careful. Income Tax Department has warned taxpayers to watch out for refund scam messages. More than seven crore people across the country have filed their ITRs. Scammers are now using advanced methods. They pretend to offer income tax refunds to steal money. Cybercriminals send fake messages about tax refunds to take money from people's accounts. These scammers send links in their messages and they ask people to click on the link to get tax refunds. When people click on the link, their money is stolen from their accounts. The Income Tax Department has issued a strong warning to taxpayers about these scam messages. The department advises not to click on any links claiming to be for income tax refunds. It also warns against sharing OTPs, PAN card information, or other personal details over the phone. Cyber Cell has also warned people to be cautious about ITR related messages. According to cybercrime police, this is a new type of bank fraud. People should be aware of it. They suggest and advise to tell their friends and family about these scams. Reports also mention scammers making fake calls. They pretend to be from the IT Department and then demand immediate payments from taxpayers, claiming it is to avoid penalties. IT Department has clarified that it never asks for immediate payments over the phone. Such calls should be considered suspicious. Authorities should be informed immediately.