IRAS warns public of scammers sending fake tax notices

SINGAPORE: The Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) has issued a warning to the public regarding an ongoing email scam that seeks to deceive recipients into clicking on suspicious links to view fake tax notices. The fraudulent scheme involves scammers posing as IRAS officials and using the agency’s name to gain the trust of unsuspecting victims.

The perpetrators behind this scam are sending fraudulent emails, falsely claiming that the recipient can access their tax notices through the file transfer website WeTransfer. These deceptive emails include a link to the alleged tax notice.

IRAS has made it clear that it will never distribute official tax notices through unsecured email platforms or websites such as WeTransfer.

To safeguard taxpayers from falling victim to such scams, IRAS has stressed that it only issues secure tax-related notices through the official platform, myTax Portal. Taxpayers are strongly advised to check for their tax notices exclusively on this trusted website. Additionally, the Singpass verification process is required for any financial transactions to ensure the highest level of security.

In light of these ongoing threats, IRAS urges the public to exercise vigilance and disregard any phishing emails related to tax matters. Under no circumstances should recipients click on suspicious links, provide personal or banking information, follow instructions outlined in such emails, or make any payments.

Anyone who has unfortunately been deceived by these scams is urged to report the incident promptly to the local authorities, namely the police. /TISG