Income Tax Refund Fake Link Scam on WhatsApp

How it looks on WhatsApp, the red flags and what to do.

On WhatsApp the scammer can send images, voice notes, PDFs and APK files, and a friendly profile photo makes the first message feel safe. Income Tax Refund Fake Link Scam is one of the ways this shows up: A message says an income tax refund is approved and asks you to confirm your bank account on a link. The page steals net banking and OTPs.

What income tax refund fake link scam looks like on WhatsApp

• A group invite promising returns, jobs or prizes.
• A PDF, APK or image that must be opened to "see the details".
• A link that pretends to be a wa.me, courier or bank page.

The scammer times the campaign near the days when many people file returns. The message includes a made-up refund amount, often an attractive round number. The sender name is a mobile number or a header that resembles an official one. Emails go further and add a logo and a footer with a fake grievance address, so it seems like a standard departmental notice.

Red flags to check on the WhatsApp message

• A refund appears for a return you did not expect.
• It asks for card number or net banking login to receive money.
• The refund is said to expire within hours.
• The link is not the official address you type yourself.
• You are added to a group full of people praising profits.
• The sender moves you quickly to Telegram or to a second app.

What to do

1. Do not use the link or send any fee.
2. Check your refund status only on the official e-filing website, typed by hand.
3. Confirm your registered bank account inside the official portal if needed.
4. If it was a "friend", call them on the number you already have and ask.
5. Turn on two-step verification in WhatsApp settings so a stolen SMS code is not enough.
6. Warn the group or family, and report the number on Sanchar Saathi if it is a scam call or message.

Inside WhatsApp use Block and report; for numbers that call or text you, the Sanchar Saathi portal (Chakshu facility) also takes complaints.

If money or a code is already gone

1. Call 1930 at once if money left your account.
2. Ask your bank through the number on your card to block net banking and cards.
3. Register a complaint on cybercrime.gov.in with the message and the page address.
4. Change your net banking and email passwords from a clean device.

National Cyber Crime Helpline: 1930; report at cybercrime.gov.in.

Safeavio Sentinel's scam check reads a pasted message and explains the red flags, such as an expiry deadline, a refund that needs your OTP and fake authority. The link check helps you notice lookalike addresses before you open them. The password exposure check gives only a date and a rough result for passwords you enter. It cannot see your refund status or confirm what the tax department owes.

Full guide: Income Tax Refund Fake Link Scam: how it works, signs and what to do. Other channels: SMS, email.

Questions