Information has been received from several quarters that emails are being received by taxpayers claiming to be sent by the Income Tax Department asking the taxpayers to download file containing payable tax details. Such phishing mails are being sent from email addresses like "[email protected]".

It is clarified that the Income Tax Department does not send any communication from private email addresses such as gmail, yahoo etc. Taxpayers are cautioned that they should not respond to such phishing mails and avoid downloading any attachment , which may contain virus or malicious software.

Taxpayers are advised to visit “Report Phishing” button on National Website of Income Tax Department i.e. www.incometaxindia.gov.in in case they receive such phishing mails.

Phishing mails: do not respond or download attachments; report suspicious tax-related emails via the department's report phishing button. The advisory warns that the Income Tax Department does not send communications from private email providers; taxpayers must not respond to phishing mails or download attachments which may contain malicious software, and should use the Report Phishing function on the Department's official website to report suspicious messages.