Cyber experts have warned Internet users of phishing scamsters who are luring people with government domain names and sending unscrupulous e-mails to collect financial and personal information. Mail boxes of people are being hit by an e-mail sent from “ref.init@incometaxindia.gov.in”, informing them of a tax refund pending with the department which can be collected by entering their financial and bank-related information by clicking on a given hyperlink in the mail.
The Income Tax Department’s web link also has the address ” www.incometaxindia.gov.in.” which gives the scamsters’ email a genuine image and even prompts people to share the information.
One such mail was received by Lucknow-based Arun which read, “We have reviewed your tax fiscal payment for previous years and have resolved that you are qualified for a refund of the sum of Rs 34,120.05 which is your accumulated tax excesses. Please submit a tax refund request and allow us to process it within 10 working days.”
Arun was taken aback as he is a student. “It seemed like a fraud because being a student I don’t file any income tax returns. So how can I be eligible of a refund?”
According to private cyber security firm XCySS, such e-mails show that the department had not properly secured its server.
Mukesh Saini, chairman of the firm, said, “It seems that the website has an open proxy domain which allows anyone to assume the name of the Income Tax Department domain and send mails from it and it can be changed if the mandarins of the department instruct their service providers.”
PLEASE BEWARE .THIS IS A EMAIL SENT TO ME AND MANY OF MY FRIENDS BY THE NIGERIAN NEGROES WHO ARE THE MAIN PEOPLE BEHIND ALL THIS SCAMS AND FRAUDULENT EMAILS.BEWARE AND SIMPLY DELETE SUCH EMAILS.DONOT OPEN ANY LINKS OR FILES AS ATTACHMENT AS THE PURPOSE COULD ALSO BE TO SEND VIRUS AFFECTED EMAIL TO DAMAGE YOUR COMPUTER SOFTWARE.
THE NIGERIAN NEGROES ARE SENDING EMAILS UNDER INDIAN NAMES TO FOOL THE PEOPLE.
EMAIL IDs from where mails are coming
test@legacyteamdevelopment.com
cccentre.rbi110011@live.in
FROM
CENTRAL BANK INDIA
Reserve Bank of India Regional Office,
Foreign Remittance Department.
New Delhi: 110 001, India,
6,Sansad Marg.
Regional Director : Y.H. Malegam
email: services.rbi.org@live.in
TRANSFER OF FUND DEPOSITED HERE TO YOUR ACCOUNT
This is to bring to your knowledge that your email address turned up as one of the lucky winners from the United Kingdom Lottery, all document covering the money laundering protection, letter of affidavit declared by the Judicary Crown Court London, winning certificate and a drafted cheque of five hundred thousand great British pound sterlings (£500,000.00 GBP) only.
Please fill in below the appropriate information for confirmation of the deposit we received.
VERIFICATION MINI-FORM:
•SURNAME:
•OTHER NAMES:
•D.O.B:
•SEX:
•AGE:
•MARITAL STATUS:
•NEXT OF KIN:
•OCCUPATION:
•CONTACT ADDRESS:
•WORK PH:
•MOBILE PH:
•FAX NUMBER:
•STATE (INDIA ONLY):
•POST CODE:
•COUNTRY:
According to the notification that you received. The notification mail sent to you is to inform you that you emerged as our lucky winner. and this explains how you became a winner, THE TOYOTA 2011 INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY PROMO held in the United Kingdom. Award promotion has set out and successfully organized a Sweepstakes marking the beginning of year anniversary. We rolled out over 10,000.000.00 (10 million e-mails) to mark the 2011 Anniversary Draws. Participants for the draws were randomly selected and drawn from a wide range of web hosts which we enjoy their BETA patronage attaching personalized email addresses to ticket numbers.Your email address as indicated was drawn and attached to a Ticket Number (7PWYZ2011) with Serial No:2113-11 and drew the lucky numbers 08-11-13-30-20-11 which subsequently won you 500,000.00 (Great Britain pounds) as one of the 10 jackpot winners in this draw.
Sincerely,
MR. ANUP BISWAS
FOREIGN EXCHANGE REMITTANCE DEPT.
RESERVE BANK OF INDIA