Netizen gets email offering refund of S$1,248 from sender claiming to be IRAS, warns others of scam

Netizen warns others of scam indicating refund from IRAS

On 8 Nov, a Singapore netizen warned others about a potential new scam variant that poses as the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS).

According to the Original Poster (OP), they received an email indicating that they are supposedly getting a refund from IRAS.

However the OP quickly noted that this may be a hoax, saying that the scammers “do not understand IRAS at all”.

Email claims to be from IRAS, but address has a UK domain

In a post on the Complaint Singapore Facebook group on 8 Nov, the OP shared two screenshots of an email they received on the same day at around 7.47pm.

The email is titled “Important Notification”, and informs the OP that their refund of S$1,248 has been processed.

The email then instructed the OP to “follow the link below to complete the steps required to receive the fund”.

However, the OP quickly observed that the email address looked suspicious as it had the country code of the United Kingdom (UK).

“Obviously these scammers do not understand IRAS at all,” the OP stated. “Please beware.”

Netizens laugh at scammers’ poor attempt

In response to the OP’s post, many netizens laughed at the poor attempt from the scammers.

Many pointed at the absurdity and lack of foresight from the scammers posing as a Singapore entity, despite being based in the UK.

Some commented that they have received the same email as well.

Do not click on suspicious links or download attachments

In response to enquiries from MS News, the IRAS shared they are aware of the ongoing scam and have posted an advisory on their social media platforms.

IRAS stated that they have received multiple reports of scam emails claiming that a tax refund has been processed.

The emails may contain suspicious links that lead to phishing websites or trick users into downloading malware onto their device.

IRAS reminded users that they do not send emails about tax refund amounts. Any refunds will be credited directly to an individuals registered bank or PayNow account.

To stay safe, members of the public are advised not to click on links or download any attachments and programs.

They also should never disclose personal, internet banking details, or one-time passwords (OTPs), especially online.

Lastly, users are advised to keep track of their transactions by checking updates or refunds via myTax portal at mytax.iras.gov.sg.

If you are unsure on how to protect yourself from scams, you can visit go.gov.sg/iras-scam to find out more.

MS News has reached out to OP for further information.

Also read: SPF issues advisory on impersonation scams, social media users encouraged to stay vigilant

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Featured image adapted from Google Maps and Complain Singapore on Facebook.