Hyderabad cybercrime alerts warn of fake tax refunds and social‑media‑driven fraud

Cyber criminals in India are exploiting social‑media posts that showcase lavish lifestyles to identify potential victims. By comparing publicly shared images of luxury vacations and high‑end purchases with tax records, they target individuals whose reported income appears lower than their displayed spending. The fraudsters then hack banking and investment details, often extracting PAN, Aadhaar and tax return information to carry out "digital arrest" scams, according to cyber‑crime lawyer Pankaj Bafna.

The Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) has issued an advisory warning taxpayers of fake Income Tax refund scams during the filing season. Scammers impersonate Income Tax Department officials via SMS, email or malicious links that claim a refund has been approved, prompting victims to disclose bank account details, PAN, Aadhaar, passwords and OTPs. The bureau stresses that officials never request such information and advises the public to verify communications through official portals, avoid clicking suspicious links, and report incidents via the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal or the helpline 1930.