Beware of phishing emails about e-PAN card download
What's the story
The Press Information Bureau (PIB) has issued a warning against phishing emails impersonating the Income Tax Department. These fraudulent messages often offer services like downloading an e-PAN and may try to extract sensitive personal or financial information from unsuspecting individuals. The PIB has cautioned that such communications could be fake and part of larger phishing schemes.
No solicitation
IT department never asks for sensitive information
The Income Tax Department has clarified that it never asks for detailed personal or financial information via email. It doesn't ask for PINs, passwords, or access credentials for bank accounts, credit cards, or other financial platforms. The department has strongly advised individuals not to engage with such communications in any way.
Twitter Post
PIB warns against such phishing emails
📢Have you also received an email asking you to download e-PAN Card❓#PIBFactCheck
— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) August 31, 2025
⚠️This Email is #Fake
✅Do not respond to any emails, links, calls & SMS asking you to share financial & sensitive information
➡️Details on reporting phishing E-mails: https://t.co/nMxyPtwN00 pic.twitter.com/M1Onqor36w
Safety measures
What to do if you receive such emails?
The official website of the Income Tax Department advises users not to reply to emails claiming to be from the department, open any attachments, or click on any links. These could contain malware or lead to phishing sites that steal confidential information. Even copying and pasting suspicious links into a browser can be risky, as they may redirect users elsewhere while appearing legitimate.
Reporting procedure
Reporting phishing attempts
Suspected phishing emails or websites impersonating the Income Tax Department should be reported to webmanager@incometax.gov.in, with a copy to incident@cert-in.org.in. You can either forward the message as is or include the internet header for tracing purposes. After reporting, make sure to delete the message from your inbox. For phishing emails unrelated to the IT department, report them at incident@cert-in.org.in.