Fake messages are spreading like fire stating that people have got a Rs 15,490 income tax refund are doing the rounds and have gone viral. The Press Information Bureau’s fact-checking branch (PIB Fact Check) has issued a clarification in this respect so that taxpayers do not fall for the fake IT refund schemes. According to PIB Fact Check, the Income Tax Department has not yet given such notifications to anybody.
The notification states, according to a PIB tweet, “You have been approved a tax refund of Rs 15,490 and the amount will be credited to your account number 5xxxxx6755. If this is not correct please update your bank account information by visiting the link below.”
According to PIB Fact Check, everyone should be aware of such fraud and avoid disclosing any sensitive information. It should be noted that the I-T department does not send e-mails demanding sensitive personal information like PIN numbers, passwords, or similar access credentials for credit cards, banks, or other financial institutions.
According to the Income Tax Department, taxpayers should not click on such fraudulent communications or download any attachments.
“If you receive an e-mail or find a website you think is pretending to be of the Income Tax Department, forward the e-mail or website URL to [email protected]. A copy may also be forwarded to [email protected]. You may forward the message as received or provide the Internet header of the e-mail. The Internet header has additional information to help us locate the sender. After you forward the e-mail or header information to us, delete the message.” income tax website also added.
Messages Regarding Fake ITRs
The income tax department said “If you receive an e-mail from someone claiming to be the authorized by Income Tax Department or directing you to an Income Tax website, do not reply. Do not open any attachments. Attachments may contain malicious code that will infect your computer. Do not click on any links. If you clicked on links in a suspicious e-mail or phishing website then do not enter confidential information like a bank account, credit card details,”.
“Do not copy and paste the message’s link into your browser.” Phishers can make a link appear legitimate while really redirecting you to a different website.
Also Read: Various Alternative Methods for Filing Your Income Tax Returns in 2023-24
Checking the Status of Your Income Tax Refund
According to government regulations, the Income Tax agency provides the reimbursement once the IT return has been completed. If the ITR is not processed and the tax agency requires further information, an alert is sent to the taxpayer’s registered phone number and email address.
ITR refunds are typically granted between 7 to 120 days from the day the return is submitted. Logging in allows you to check the status of your ITR. If you check your ITR status after logging in, you can obtain further information such as downloading the return/notification.
Want to know how to check the status of your ITR online?
By logging onto the government’s new income tax website, you can verify the status of your ITR.
1. Go to www.incometax.gov.in and sign in with your PAN/Aadhaar number as the user ID and your password.
2. After logging in, select ‘e-file’.
3. Go to ‘Income Tax Returns’ and then ‘View Filed Returns’.
4. Review the most recent ITR.
5. Click the ‘View Details’ button. Once chosen, the status of the ITR filed may be viewed there.
6. It will also show the date tax refunds were sent, as well as the amount and date they were cleared.
Also Read: Guide to Successfully File Your Tax Return After The Deadline
