ITR Refund Scam: Fake ₹60,000 email doing the rounds — Govt issues fraud warning

ITR Refund Scam: Fake ₹60,000 email doing the rounds — Govt issues fraud warning

So, you’ve filed your ITR and are hoping for a nice little refund. Maybe even around ₹60,000? Be careful — a fake email claiming just that is doing the rounds, and it’s convincing enough to fool a lot of people.

The government has now stepped in and issued a warning about it.

The fake email trap — too good to be true? Probably is.

A so-called “Income Tax Refund” email has been landing in inboxes lately, claiming that ₹60,128 is ready to be creditedto your account. All you need to do, it says, is “manually verify” your account details via a link.

Sounds routine, right? That’s exactly what scammers want you to think.

In reality, it’s a phishing scam, and that link leads you straight to a site designed to look like the official income tax portal — but it’s not.

Here’s what happens if you click

Clicking that fake link opens up a page that mimics the government website. Once you enter your details — name, bank info, PAN, maybe even Aadhaar — it’s game over.

That’s it. Your data is in the hands of someone you don’t want it to be with.

PIB flagged it — and this is what they said

The Press Information Bureau (PIB) fact-checked the email and issued a public warning. According to PIB:

“This email is fake. Do not click on any such suspicious link. Always visit the official website for tax-related info.”

You can also report such emails to report.phishing@incometax.gov.in.

Not sure what to trust? Follow these rules

Here’s how to stay safe if you’re waiting on an ITR refund:

  • Never click on any refund link sent over SMS, email, or WhatsApp

  • If the email isn’t from an @gov.in or @nic.in address, it’s suspicious

  • Always use the official income tax site

  • Don’t share your bank or PAN details on calls unless you’re absolutely sure who’s calling

  • Enable two-factor authentication on your accounts

Also — refund updates will never ask you to verify manually through a link. The portal already has your bank details if you entered them while filing.

Scams are evolving. We need to be sharper too.

Scammers are getting smarter every year — from SMS messages to fake portals to refund baits, they know what makes people click.

So whether your refund is ₹6,000 or ₹60,000, don’t let urgency trick you into sharing sensitive data.

If you’re ever in doubt, don’t click — just log into the portal directly and check things for yourself.

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