Scammers are sending fake tax refund alerts to steal bank details; learn how to identify fraud messages and protect your money.
Vanshika verma | Feb 25, 2026 |
Income Tax Department Warns of Refund Scam: Red flags, Reporting Steps and Safety Tips
Recently, the Income Tax Department alerted people regarding a new tax refund scam. The department said that, in this scam, fraudsters send messages or emails saying that your income tax refund is delayed and ask you to click a link to fix the issue. When you click the link, you may be taken to a fake website that looks real and be asked to enter your bank details or other personal information. And once someone shares this information, scammers can steal money from your bank account. A user on social media ‘X’ also shared a case where a person lost Rs. 1.5 lakh after trusting such a fake message.
Let’s look at the process for reporting such messages to the Income Tax Department:
The Income tax department says that there are some clear warning signs. For example, messages that create urgency, such as “refund will be cancelled today“, links that don’t look like official government websites, requests for OTP or bankdetails, and spelling or grammar mistakes. The Income Tax Department never asks for sensitive information through SMS, WhatsApp, or email links.
Apart from this, the Income Tax Department has also warned people about fake messages.
For example: “Dear taxpayer, your refund is pending. Click now to avoid penalty: http://incometax-refund-claim.xyz.”
These messages often use words like “Refund Pending”, “Click Now”, “Urgent Action Required”, or “Important Alert.. submit a request to receive your unpaid tax refund” to scare people and make them click on the link.
If you receive any suspicious message, you should report it at the following:
Email: [email protected]
Mark a Copy: [email protected]
In case of any assistance or guidance, you can also contact the helpline numbers 1800 103 0025 or 080-46122000.
Step 1: Visit the e-filing portal at incometax.gov.in and login using your ID and password.
Step 2: Go to e-File tab, then Income Tax Returns, followed by View Filed returns.
Step 3: Select your relevant Assessment Year to see the refund status.
Step 4: Lastly, click on ‘view details’ to check the complete lifecycle of your filed ITR and track processing stages.
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