The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has warned taxpayers to remain vigilant against fraudsters impersonating tax officials and demanding money by falsely claiming that tax files have been selected for audit.
In a press release issued on Sunday, the revenue authority said it had recently detected a group of criminals contacting taxpayers from various mobile phone numbers. The callers falsely claimed that taxpayers’ files had been selected for audit and demanded money in exchange for exempting them from the process or threatened legal action if payments were not made.
The NBR stressed that its officials and employees do not communicate with taxpayers about tax audits through personal mobile phone numbers or any unauthorised channels. It said taxpayers are notified of audits only through official written notices issued in accordance with the law.
The authority also reminded taxpayers that all tax liabilities and government fees must be paid directly to the state treasury through authorised government treasury challans. It said no tax official or any other individual is authorised to receive payments in person, through mobile financial services such as bKash, Rocket or Nagad, or via personal bank accounts.
Taxpayers have been advised not to panic if they receive suspicious phone calls, text messages or emails relating to tax audits. Instead, they should immediately contact the Deputy Tax Commissioner’s office in their respective tax zone to verify the authenticity of any such communication.
The NBR also urged taxpayers to report anyone demanding money while posing as a tax official to the nearest law enforcement agency without delay. It advised victims to preserve the caller’s phone number to help investigators take legal action.
Reaffirming its commitment to providing transparent, efficient and harassment-free taxpayer services, the National Board of Revenue urged taxpayers not to make any financial transactions with fraudsters under any circumstances.
