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Tax phishing

Income Tax Refund SMS Scam

The message says a tax refund is approved or on hold and you must verify your bank account through a link. The page collects your PAN, bank login and OTP.

if you got this

Treat it as a scam until you check. Don’t click, pay or share a code. Log in to incometax.gov.in yourself to see your real refund status.

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what it looks like

Forwarded

Dear Taxpayer, your income tax refund of Rs 15,490 has been approved. Please verify your account details to receive it: incometax-refund-verify.co

Many people are genuinely waiting for a refund after filing, so a refund message arrives at exactly the right time.

red flags

  • Any link that is not incometax.gov.in
  • Asks for net-banking password, card details or OTP to “receive” a refund
  • Mentions a specific refund amount with urgency to claim it
  • Sent from a mobile number or a lookalike email address

if it’s happening now

  1. Log in to incometax.gov.in yourself to see your real refund status.
  2. Refunds are paid to the bank account already validated on the portal. You do not need to “verify” it through a link.
  3. If you entered bank details, call your bank now and change your passwords.
  4. Report the message to webmanager@incometax.gov.in, copying incident@cert-in.org.in.
Already clicked, paid or shared something?

Don’t

  • Do not enter your bank login on any page opened from a refund message.
  • Do not share OTPs.

Save this evidence

  • Screenshot of the message and sender
  • The full link
  • Any bank alert

Stop it happening again

  • Check refunds only by logging in to the e-filing portal after you file.

questions people ask

Does the Income Tax Department send refund links by SMS?

No. Refunds are processed automatically to your validated bank account. Check the status only by logging in to incometax.gov.in.

How do I report a fake income tax message?

Email it to webmanager@incometax.gov.in with a copy to incident@cert-in.org.in. If you lost money, also call 1930.

Last reviewed 25 September 2026.