Beware of I-T refund messages, cyber criminals may trick you with fraud

Always go to the e-filing portal and check if there is any refund or outstanding tax demand

If you receive a text message from the income-tax (I-T) department stating a tax refund or demanding an outstanding tax liability, do not respond immediately. There are chances this message is from cyber criminals trying to trick you into revealing your bank account details.

Experts say such messages rise exponentially during the tax filing season. “Cybercriminals send such messages or emails when the tax filing deadline is close because taxpayers can be more gullible during this time,” says Preeti Khurana, a tax expert at ClearTax.

In fact, these scams are so prominent around this time that the country’s premier cybersecurity