The IT department has alerted tax-payers against sharing personal financial information like PAN card number and credit cards details on the internet in the wake of a spurt in fake e-mails being sent to people.

Concerned over fictitious and unauthorised e-mails landing in personal internet addresses of many people, the department has issued an "alert message".

The technical and systems wing of the department is also adding a word of "caution" at the end of each mail sent under its name.

"A number of tax payers have received e-mails with subjects like 'tax refund' and 'seeking refunds' prompting us to take such measures. Such messages continue to land in big numbers in individual e-mails," a senior official of the department said.

"Information has been received from several quarters that people are receiving electronic mails informing them of their income tax refunds and seeking their credit card details.

"It is clarified that the department does not send e-mails regarding refunds and does not seek any information regarding credit cards of taxpayers. Taxpayers are therefore cautioned that they should not respond to such mails and if they do so it would be at their risk and responsibility," the department's "alert" message said.

Source: Economic Times