As the ITR filing last date approaches, July 31, fraudsters are active. They are spreading malware by sending fake emails in the name of Income Tax Department. Be cautious of these emails and always check the sender’s domain (@incometax.gov.in).
Fake Income Tax Email: If you have not yet filed your Income Tax Return (ITR), then there is really very little time left. The last date for filing returns for assessment year 2026-27 for most salaried taxpayers is July 31, 2026, in which only four days are left. Every year around this time fraudsters also become active. They send fake emails in the name of Income Tax Department in the hope that people will click on them without thinking.
Recently, cyber security company Shreshta IT Technologies has detected a similar phishing scam, which has connections to China. This scam has been specially designed keeping in mind the filing time of assessment year 2026-27. In this, a fake ‘office memorandum’ written in Hindi-English is sent to the people. In this, it is claimed that there is an error in your tax and you are asked to submit the documents within 72 hours, otherwise legal action is threatened. But actually the file sent with it inserts a malware in your computer, which gives attackers remote access to your device.
In March 2026, the Fact Check Unit of PIB had also reported about a similar fake email, which was going viral. In that email it was claimed that there is a ‘compliance gap’ in the return file of a person i.e. lack of compliance with the rules. PIB clearly said, “This email is FAKE and a phishing attempt to defraud citizens of money.”
The method of all these frauds is almost the same. It contains an official-looking message, a false pressure to act quickly, and an attachment or link intended to steal your personal information.
How to recognize fake ITR email?
All genuine emails from the Income Tax Department end with @incometax.gov.in. If an email comes from any other address, it is not genuine, no matter how genuine it may appear. If there is even a slight change in the spelling of the email address, any extra words, or .com or .in domain instead of .gov.in, then it is fake. Just by doing this one check you can avoid most frauds.
The Income Tax Department never asks for your personal information over email. The department never sends emails asking for passwords, PINs or other access details of bank accounts, credit cards or other financial accounts. This thing rejects most scam emails. If in any message you are asked to confirm bank details, card PIN or net banking password to ‘process’ the refund or to ‘avoid’ penalty, then understand that it is not from the department.
What to do if you receive such an email?
- Don’t respond to emails.
- Do not open any attachments. They may contain dangerous code that can infect your device.
- Do not click on any link. Even if you click by mistake, do not enter your password, credit card information or bank account details on the screen that opens.
- Do not copy the link and paste it in your browser. Scammers may make the link appear to lead somewhere else.
Always keep your device with a good firewall, antivirus software, and anti-spyware updated. Some phishing emails contain malware that can secretly monitor your activity or harm your device.
Fraudsters use deadline pressure to affect your thinking. The real way to avoid this is very simple and does not require any technical knowledge: always check the sender’s domain, never send a PIN, password or OTP over email, and if anything forces you to rush, stop and go to the official site and check for yourself.