Fake news: Beaware of phishing emails promising GSTN refunds

New Delhi, May 03: The two apex tax bodies - income tax department and CBIC - on Sunday asked taxpayers to beware of phishing emails promising refund. Separately GST Network, the company handling the technology backbone for Goods and Services Tax, cautioned against a fraud website onlinefilingindia.in asking taxpayers not to reveal personal and bank details.

"BEWARE of FRAUD website onlinefilingindia.in. It is trying to BAIT taxpayers to reveal personal and bank details. DO NOT respond to messages, mails and lookalike websites which ask for your personal details," GSTN tweeted.

It further said that some fraudulent messages are being circulated on WhatsApp, Email and SMS claiming to process refund.

"Miscreants are attempting to take undue advantage of COVID-19 crisis by sending out fake messages with phishing links. One such link takes to a portal claimed to have been developed by GSTN. the same is fake," GSTN tweeted.

Fraudsters may also pose as tax officials or GSTN personnel and send fake email asking to urgently verify or update account. Taxpayers are advised to remain cautious against such messages, it added. GSTN also issued a list of Do's and Don'ts and asked taxpayers to call GST help desk 1800-103-4786 in case of any query.

Earlier in the day, the tax department had tweeted: "Taxpayers Beware! Please do not click on any fake link which promises to give refund. These are phishing messages and are not sent by the Income Tax Department".

Similarly, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) in a late evening tweet asked taxpayers not to click on any fake link which promises to give refund. "These are phishing messages and are not sent by CBIC or @Infosys_GSTN. Visit gst.gov.in for online filings related to GST," the CBIC tweeted.

The Finance Ministry had on April 8 said it will fast track issuance of pending income tax refunds up to Rs 5 lakh which will benefit around 14 lakh taxpayers, to provide relief to individuals and businesses hit by COVID-19 outbreak. As per latest data, between April 8-20, the department had issued nearly 14 lakh refunds involving an amount of over Rs 9,000 crore to various taxpayers -- including individuals, HUFs, proprietors, firms, corporate, start-ups, MSMEs. The CBIC too had cleared over Rs 10,700 crore worth refunds in GST and Customs duty between April 8-23.

The ministry has decided to issue all pending GST and Custom refunds which would benefit around 1 lakh business entities, including MSME. The total refund granted will be approximately Rs 18,000 crore, it had said.