ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has cautioned taxpayers to avoid sharing any personal information with anyone through email.

An official announcement of the FBR said it never sends an email requesting taxpayers’ PINs [personal identification numbers], passwords, or similar access information for credit cards, banks, or other financial accounts.

It has been observed that there are numerous attempts by individuals and groups to solicit personal information from unsuspecting users by employing social engineering techniques. Various emails are crafted to appear as if they have been sent from a legitimate organisation or known individual.

These emails often attempt to entice users to click on a link that redirects the user to a fraudulent website that appears legitimate.

The user then may be asked to provide personal information, such as account usernames and passwords, further exposing them to future compromises.

Additionally, these fraudulent websites may contain malicious code. Emails designed to obtain a taxpayer’s banking information in lieu of facilitating a refund to the taxpayer or any other activity associated with an individual’s bank account are extremely dangerous with an intent to defraud the individual.

Published in Dawn, October 11th, 2022