New Delhi, August 12: An alleged notice attributed to the Income Tax Department has surfaced online, asking the recipient to pay ₹6,000 as part of the tax payable amount. The notice has drawn attention online and carries the letterhead of the Income Tax Department.
But is the ‘notice’ genuine?
The government’s PIB Fact Check has flagged the viral letter, which claims to have been issued by the Income Tax Department, and termed it fake. The fact-check unit said the fake notice is actually a phishing attempt. It further clarified that the Income Tax Department does not issue such notices and advised people to beware of misleading content and always rely on official sources for verified information.
Notably, phishing is a type of online scam in which cybercriminals trick people into sharing private information, such as passwords, credit card numbers or bank details. Communications purporting to be from financial institutions, popular social media websites, auction sites, online payment processors or IT administrators are commonly used to lure unsuspecting people. Phishing is typically carried out through email or instant messaging and often directs users to enter their details on a fake website whose look and feel are almost identical to those of a legitimate one.
