JOIN USThe IT department has cautioned people not to respond to fraudulent emails, which use its official logo and ask for sensitive details like PAN card and credit card numbers.
The IT department has issued the advisory as it received numerous enquiries from various quarters, seeking clarifications on such deceptive emails.
“It is clarified that the Income Tax department does not send e-mails regarding refunds and does not seek any information regarding credit cards of taxpayers. Taxpayers are, therefore, cautioned that they should not respond to such mails and if they do so it would be at their own risk and responsibility,” the IT department has said in a public notice.
“ This is a serious matter. We have asked all circles of the Income Tax department to put public notice advising people not to respond to such emails,” a spokesperson of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) told Deccan Herald.
The basic motive of cyber criminals behind sending such emails is to tempt taxpayers to give details of their credit cards, sources in investigation wing of the CBDT said. Once, cyber criminals get the details, they use the information to commit financial frauds.
“A gullible tax payer in the hope of getting his IT refund without much delay responds to such fraudulent emails and shares details of his credit card. Cyber criminals are only looking for details of credit cards, which they misuse to cheat the card holders,” sources said.