Fake income tax notice demanding ₹6,000 flagged as fraudulent by government

SRINAGAR — A purported Income Tax Department notice seeking a payment of ₹6,000 from a taxpayer is circulating online, prompting the government to flag the document as fake and caution people against falling for the apparent phishing attempt.

The notice, dated August 9, 2026, carries the name of an individual and claims a total amount of ₹15 lakh, with an alleged income-tax liability of ₹12,000. It further asks the purported recipient to pay ₹6,000 as his share of the amount.

The government has rejected the document as fraudulent and warned that it is being used to solicit payment by falsely presenting itself as an official Income Tax Department communication.

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The warning is significant because the fabricated document uses government-style branding and official-looking details, which could give recipients the impression that the demand is genuine.

The Income Tax Department has previously warned taxpayers about attempts to impersonate the department and advised people to carefully verify communications rather than clicking suspicious links, opening attachments or sharing financial information. The department has also cautioned that fraudsters may use incorrect or spoofed web addresses to impersonate official communications.