Cybercriminals widen net as assessees rush to meet I-T return filing deadline

BENGALURU: Cybercriminals are exploiting the income-tax return (ITR) filing season by sending fake income tax department notices over WhatsApp and other messaging platforms, using forged govt documents, cloned tax portals and malware to steal banking credentials and gain remote access to victims’ devices, according to a report by Bengaluru-based cybersecurity firm CloudSek.The campaign comes at a time when millions of taxpayers are expecting messages related to refunds, notices and compliance deadlines, making them more likely to trust official-looking communications.CloudSek said attackers are using two primary methods: malware-laden WhatsApp attachments and phishing websites that closely mimic the official income-tax e-filing portal.In the WhatsApp campaign, victims receive an “office memorandum” from an unknown or compromised account masquerading as the income tax department.