Fake messages on fast-track tax refund

After a fake forward, posing as a Ministry of Tourism directive, did the rounds, asking all hotels and resorts to remain shut till October 15, 2020, the latest one is a false link posing as a message from the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC).

The income tax department and the CBIC have warned taxpayers against succumbing to the temptation of getting faster GST and income tax refunds by clicking on any fake links.

Taxpayers Beware !!!
Please do not click on any fake link which promises to give refund. These are phishing messages and are not sent by CBIC or @Infosys_GSTN. Visit https://t.co/GTcdBJ0Pec for online filings related to GST #IndiaFightsCorona #StaySafe pic.twitter.com/IFifz0wdV0
— CBIC (@cbic_india) May 3, 2020

It has been ascertained that the message reading “Dear Taxpayers, Due to Covid-19 outbreak, Central Government has started online processing of GST Refund. Click below to claim your refund http://Onlinefilingindia.in” is false and has not been issued by the government entities.

Tax payers have been advised not click on the link as these are phishing messages not sent by CBIC or the Infosys arm handling GST. The correct website to visit is www.gst.gov.in.

The income-tax department has also tweeted a message explaining that they are not sending any mails for tax refunds and seeking personal information from taxpayers, including their KYC details on mail.

The tweet reads, “Taxpayers Beware! Please do not click on any fake link which promises to give refund. These are phishing messages and are not sent by the Income Tax Department.” The tweet then links a page from the income tax department’s website that talks in detail about “Reporting and Identification of Phishing, Fraudulent Refund E-mail Scams and Fake Income Tax Web Sites.”