Income Tax officials issue fact-check against fake e-mails offering to download e-PAN card
The Income Tax Department has warned people in New Delhi about a spam campaign targeting taxpayers. A fact‑check notice was released with the support of the Press Information Bureau (PIB) to warn citizens against bogus messages that ask them to “download e‑PAN card.” The bulletin even shows a screenshot of the phishing email, which gives a “step‑by‑step guide” to obtain the card online.
The department clarified that it never asks for detailed personal data over email and that it does not send messages requesting PINs, passwords or other financial access codes. They urged people to ignore any emails that claim to come from the Income Tax Department or direct them to an official website, and not to reply or open any attachments, as these could contain malware.
The advisory advised against clicking on links in suspicious emails or phishing sites, especially when prompted to enter bank account or credit card details. It also cautioned that phishers might disguise a link to look legitimate while actually leading to a different site. To stay protected, the department recommended keeping anti‑virus, anti‑spyware and firewall software up to date, as some phishing emails may deliver harmful software or track internet activity without your knowledge.
Taxpayers who come across phishing messages that do not involve the Income Tax Department are asked to forward the mail to incident@cert‑in.org.in. If they encounter a site or email that appears to be from the department, they can send the message or URL to webmanager@incometax.gov.in, with a copy also sent to incident@cert‑in.org.in. They should forward the email exactly as received, or include the full internet header for additional sender details, and then delete the offending message from their inbox.
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