Fake Income Tax Notice Demanding Rs 8.38 Lakh Circulating; Taxpayers Advised to Stay Caution
All taxpayers need to be cautioned about a fake message nowadays being circulated. This message claims to be sent by the Income Tax Department and pretends to be an official order belonging to the assessment year 2025-26. Through these messages, taxpayers are being asked to make a payment of Rs 8,38,700. However, there are several details in the communication that explicitly reflect that it is not being sent by the tax authorities and is fraudulently trying to steal personal or financial information from the taxpayers.
There are several key points in such communications, concentrating on which one can easily identify if the message is fake or real. One of the biggest warning signs is the sender’s email address. The message is being sent from a suspicious domain ending in @jcom.zaq.ne.jp, which seems to be a Japanese domain and clearly shows this is not at all connected with the Income Tax Department, since honest communications released from the side of tax authorities are sent using domains like @incometax.gov.in.
Secondly, it is also seen that these communications include a fraudulent website link, https://wwtax.icu, which is not an official government website. Official websites of the Income Tax Department end with .gov.in. Clicking on these links can hack the personal information of taxpayers and can result in massive financial fraud.
The third suspicious detail found in these communications is the fake order reference mentioned as “Income Escapement 805859921″. The message falsely claims that proceedings have been initiated against the taxpayer under Sections 143(2) and 143(3) of the Income Tax Act. The criminals are using these tricks to make the message appear genuine and create sudden panic among taxpayers, which will force them to take sudden action without verifying the information first.
Taxpayers are strongly advised to remain aware of these fraudulent messages and avoid clicking on unknown links, downloading attachments, or sharing personal details in response to such messages. If you have also received such communication, then do not panic; always verify the information first by logging into the official Income Tax Department portal.
An email is circulating online claiming to be issued by the Income Tax Department for Assessment Year 2025–26. The email further asks recipients to pay a tax demand and directs them to click a link to view an ‘Assessment Order.’#PIBFactCheck
❌ The email and the Assessment… pic.twitter.com/rsjbkIWW2R
— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) March 10, 2026
