QuickCheck: Are scammers targeting taxpayers with SMSes claiming unpaid taxes?

With technology at our fingertips, not every message is as innocent as it seems.

Imagine receiving a text message that claims you owe back taxes and are going to be black listed!

Could these alarming messages really be a new tactic used by scammers to prey on unsuspecting people?

Verdict:

TRUE

The Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia (LHDN) has alerted the public about fraudulent text messages purporting to be from them.

These messages claim that recipients have unpaid taxes, potentially causing undue alarm.

LHDN advises that if people receive such messages from unknown numbers, they should remain calm and simply ignore and delete these messages without responding or following any instructions.

They also emphasise the importance of not sharing any personal information.

LHDN suggests noting down the sender’s details for record-keeping purposes, in case it becomes necessary later.

To avoid falling victim to these scams, LHDN recommends verifying the contents of the message with the relevant authorities.

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