Do not share your personal data over phone or email: I-T Dept to tax payers

The Income Tax department on Tuesday issued an advisory asking taxpayers not to share their personal financial details over email or phone and urged them to register a complaint in case they face such malicious attempt. 

The advisory has come at a time when income tax returns (ITRs) filing season has concluded and it is an opportune time for hackers and other fraudsters to launch phishing attempts to compromise users' vital data for their illegal benefits by dishing out false promises about pending refunds or ITR authentications. 

"Taxpayers are requested not to respond to any email or any type of communication sent to them requesting them to furnish their personal particulars such as bank account details, passwords, one-time password etc purported to be from the I-T department. The Income Tax department does not seek any such information through email or any other mode of communication from the taxpayers,” the advisory said. 

The department also asked the taxpayers that they should register a complaint if they receive such fake communication over email or phone.