Received an e-PAN Email? Don’t Click! Govt Issues Urgent Alert

Due to an increase in cyber fraud for Indian taxpayers, the government is now sending out warnings. If you receive an email from someone claiming to be from the government, stating, 'Download your e-PAN card?' DON'T click any links. This is an e-PAN email scam, and the government has issued an alert in the Press Information Bureau (PIB) Fact Check alert and the Income Tax Department.

In March 2026, this phishing scam was reported. This phishing scam was reported, and multiple emails were sent to people impersonating the government and stealing sensitive information. Fake e-PAN emails appeared to be genuine, sending PIB and Income Tax-branded emails.

What is the e-PAN email scam?

The e-PAN email scam is when cybercriminals send unsolicited emails encouraging individuals to download an electronic PAN (e-PAN) card. These emails claim urgency and state you must access your e-PAN in order to complete KYC. These emails usually contain Click Here links to fraudulent websites or malware.

Phishing emails have infected 8+ million emails per month, and this number is growing. Emails are arriving pretending to be from the e-PAN system. If you click on the email, you will be directed to a fake tax portal, where you will be asked to provide sensitive information such as your bank details, passwords, PAN, and Aadhaar. Fraudsters will use this information to steal your identity, take out loans in your name, and perpetrate bank fraud.

Phishing scams typically exploit the public's trust in government phishing scams. The Income Tax Department has been clear that they do not send unsolicited email requests for personal or financial information.

Example of a Typical PAN Card Fraud Email

Email phishing scams have become very sophisticated, with such a high level of complexity that you would probably have to use a significant amount of your resources to detect such alterations. For example:

• Altered sender IDs - Emails may appear to be from a government email, but they are fake.    
• The sense of urgency - Phrases like “Your Tax Refund is Ready” or “Your PAN is inactive” typically motivate individuals to act without thinking.
• The appearance of officialness - Use of government logos and tags.
• Malicious payloads - the link you clicked could lead to infection by malware (ransomware, keyloggers), or steal information directly.  

The emails have been identified as fraud as confirmed by the PIB Fact Check alerts (seen on X, Facebook, etc.) and are warning people not to respond to emails of this nature.  

The government stated that genuine e-PAN download links can only be found on official sites, including IS e-filing, NSDL, and UTIITSL. There is no email campaigning.

What makes these scams worse?

The PAN card fraud alerts can result in:

• Losing money due to transactions made without your consent or loans that have been taken in your name.
• Scammers filing fraudulent tax returns or using your identity.
• Losing your device and all the information on it.
• Having your credit affected permanently because of the fraudsters who opened accounts and didn’t pay.

Scammers in India take advantage of individuals every day, including the elderly and less educated. 

How to Keep Safe from Scams

Follow e-PAN email scam and other similar scams:

• Source of email- Ensure to look carefully at the email sender's address. Emails from the Income Tax Department will have email endings at the domain name list of the government. Scammers and hackers will use email domains other than the government email domains.
• e-PAN requests- Email solicitations are scams. If you want your e-PAN, go to the official website of the Income Tax Department and UTI ITSL e-PAN services (do not click any links).
• Urgent emails- Government departments will not suspend your account. Emails like these are scams.
• Two-factor authentication- Add two-factor authentication to your email, bank apps, and e-filing accounts.
• Strong passwords- Do not reuse passwords.
• Malware- Keep your operating system, anti-virus software, and browsers up-to-date.
• Personal information- Do not email your PAN, Aadhaar, or bank information.
• Inform Family and Friends- Provide reliable warnings such as PIB Fact Check and alerts.
  
  

Steps To Take When You Receive An Email You Suspect Is Fake

In case of receiving or clicking a fake e-PAN email:

• Do not provide any details — If possible, close the page.
• Delete the email — And delete the email from the trash.
• Check your device — Perform a full scan of your device to check for malicious software.
• Take steps — Send the email to:
  •   - phishing@incometax.gov.in (or webmanager@incometax.gov.in as per some advisories).
  •   - incident@cert-in.org.in for most incidents to do with cyberspace.
• Keep an eye on your accounts — If you notice any unauthorised activity on your bank statements, credit reports, and e-filing portal, you can freeze your credit or report to cybercrime.gov.in.

If you need to report phishing, you can do that on the page created especially for that purpose by the Income Tax Department: https://incometaxindia.gov.in/pages/report-phishing.aspx.

Conclusion

Staying aware is the fastest way to combat cyber fraudsters who move quickly. As an e-PAN email scam is not the first social engineering technique being used to commit fraud, the urgent alert from the government should help us know that a legal authority will not request your personal and sensitive information through any social engineering technique. Practising PAN card safety tips will help you to keep your financial identity safe, especially with the rise of technology and fraudsters.

Remember, if there is a sense of urgency or if the message requests personal info, the message is probably a scam. Always verify by checking the official website. 

(Source: Email Scam Govt. Alert )

DISCLAIMER: This blog is NOT any buy or sell recommendation. No investment or trading advice is given. The content is purely for educational and information purposes only. Always consult your eligible financial advisor for investment-related decisions.