'Digital robbery' in the name of refund: ₹1.5 lakh fraud leaves people stunned, Income Tax Department issues major warning..

Recently, a taxpayer lost ₹1.5 lakh after responding to a fake delayed refund message, prompting the Income Tax Department to issue a new warning. This alert comes at a time when many taxpayers have already been worried about refund delays for the past year – a concern that fraudsters are now exploiting through phishing messages and fake portals. For the past year, the refund timeline has been a topic of discussion among taxpayers. Many complained on social media about delays in receiving refunds despite early filing.

In response, the government stated that refunds are processed after proper verification and data matching, especially where discrepancies are flagged. Officials have repeatedly stated that most refunds are issued within weeks, but cases involving mismatches, scrutiny, or pending verification may take longer. Scammers are now capitalizing on this concern about delayed refunds.

How the scam works
According to a social media post on TaxBuddy, a tax advisory platform, the fraud typically begins with a message claiming that your refund is pending and needs immediate verification. The message contains a link that appears official.

Upon clicking, you are redirected to a fake website resembling the Income Tax Portal. You are asked to enter your PAN, login ID, and password. An OTP is requested for verification. In some cases, bank details are also requested. Once these details are shared, the fraudsters gain access to your account. In a recent case, a taxpayer lost ₹1.5 lakh.

Why are taxpayers falling for this scam?
Refund-related conversations always attract attention. When a message states a delayed refund or warns that the amount may lapse, it creates a sense of urgency. Scammers deliberately use intimidating language, such as a final reminder tone, threats of refund cancellation, demands for immediate action, and simple patterns. This leads to panicked clicks, and this quick click leads to compromise.

What doesn't the Income Tax Department do?
The Income Tax Department has clarified that it does not send refund verification links via SMS, does not ask for OTPs via phone calls or messages, or ask for passwords or banking details via random emails. Refund status can only be checked by directly logging into the official Income Tax e-filing portal. Taxpayers are advised to type the website address themselves instead of clicking on any embedded links.

What you should do:
Log in directly to the official portal to check your status.
Ignore messages asking for urgent verification.
Never share OTPs, passwords, or login credentials.
Immediately report suspicious messages.
You can also report phishing attempts to the department's official grievance channel and the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) to help prevent further fraud.

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