Getting a Message About ‘Manual Verification’ from the IT Department? Here’s What You Need to Know

If you have recently been receiving emails which claim to be from the Income Tax Department, asking you to complete manual verification of your personal details, then you need to be cautious as this could be a potentially fraudulent or phishing email.

The government has recently cautioned taxpayers saying that these kind of emails can be fraudulent in nature.

Beware Of Cybercrime

Since the tax filing season has begun, cybercriminals have also become far more active and are constantly on the lookout to exploit unsuspecting taxpayers by sending them phishing emails which seem to look official.

These emails can prompt taxpayers to click on a link, fill out personal or financial information, or download and attachment for "manual verification" or "e-verification."

PIB Confirms

The PIB Fact Check Unit of the government has also confirmed that this is a fake email and has advised people to refrain from clicking on suspicious links that may have been shared along with said email, or even sharing personal, financial, or sensitive information through email, SMS, or call.

While the Income Tax Department may ask for personal information through email it never asks for PIN numbers or passwords, or any similar access details for credit cards, banks, or other financial accounts.

What Does The Fake Email Say?

The message that has been circulating says,

"Dear Taxpayer,
This is an official notification regarding your Income Tax Refund for Assessment Year 2024-25. Amount eligible: Rs 60,000.
Why manual verification?
As per latest RBI & PMLA norms, all refunds above Rs 25,000 require recipient confirmation to prevent unauthorized payouts and protect taxpayers."

Since this is a message that almost looks as if it were actually sent by the Income Tax Department, the government has urged taxpayers to remain vigilant, verify the authenticity of any communication, and report suspicious emails immediately.

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