Starts April 1st With this, tax filing has started. Individual taxpayers will start filing their returns for the financial year 2023-24 (assessment year 2024-25) from today. However, with changing times the risk of cyber fraud in income tax filing has increased. Cyber fraudsters are using tricks ranging from fake tax notices to ‘urgent’ phishing emails to commit fraud. Therefore, avoid these mistakes while filing taxes.
1. Beware of fake IT notices and calls:
Cyber fraudsters often send fake notices through messages and emails, posing as officials of the Income Tax (IT) Department. If you receive an email from someone claiming to be authorized by the IT department, or directing you to an IT website, you do not need to respond to it. Do not open any attachments as they may contain malicious data that can infect your computer. Verify the credibility of those notices before taking any hasty steps.
2. Use secure payment methods
Opt for secure payment methods like credit or debit cards while making online tax payments. The cards come with additional security features like tokenization that prevents sharing of personal data with third party vendors and strong prevention mechanisms.
3. Enable Alerts
Set up transaction alerts on your card or payment app to receive notifications of any suspicious activity. Review your account details regularly and report any unauthorized transactions.
4. Verify Demand
Before making any transactions, ensure the authenticity of payments, especially if they come from unexpected, unknown sources, appeal to unreasonable urgency or threaten legal action.
5. Keep personal information confidential
Avoid sharing sensitive information like card information, PIN or CVV numbers for credit cards or bank accounts. Use secure e-filing services, avoid public WiFi networks, and activate two-factor authentication for added security.
6.Delete personal information from untrusted websites
Protect your privacy by removing your information from questionable data broker sites. Data brokers gather information from public records, loyalty programs, and apps. Sharing your data on such sites invites privacy and financial risks.
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