How this scam typically works
Scammers impersonate the Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia (LHDN) to create panic around taxes — an area most people already find stressful and confusing. LHDN itself documents this pattern on its own fraud-alert page. Common versions include: a call or message claiming you owe tax arrears and must pay immediately to avoid legal action; a fake notice claiming you're under audit; an instruction to transfer money to a "safe account" as part of a supposed verification or investigation; and a fake refund notice, which asks you to click a link or provide bank details to "receive" money you're not actually owed.
All of these share the same underlying tactic as other authority-impersonation scams: manufactured urgency, a threat — legal action, penalties, or losing a refund — and a request to move money or hand over banking details right now, before you have time to check.
The core check that catches almost all of these: genuine LHDN correspondence comes from an official @hasil.gov.my email address, and LHDN does not resolve tax matters — arrears, audits, or refunds — through a single urgent phone call or unsolicited message demanding an immediate transfer. For the detailed checklist on telling a real LHDN email from a fake one, see Is this LHDN email real?.
Warning signs
- Urgency and threats — pay now or face legal action, arrest, or asset seizure
- An instruction to transfer money to a "safe account" for verification
- The sender is not an @hasil.gov.my address, or the message arrives by SMS/WhatsApp rather than an official channel
- A refund that requires you to pay a fee first, or to submit bank/card details through a link
If you're being targeted right now
Don't pay, transfer money, or click any link. Stop and check the message against Is this LHDN email real? and LHDN's own fraud-alert page before treating anything as genuine. If you're unsure whether you actually have a tax matter outstanding, check directly through LHDN's official website or MyTax portal rather than replying to the message or calling any number it gives you.
If you've already lost money
See Scammed in Malaysia? The first 24 hours for the exact steps to take next — who to call, in what order, and what to preserve as evidence.
FAQ
How can I tell if an email claiming to be from LHDN is real?
Check that it comes from an official @hasil.gov.my address, and treat any request to transfer money to a "safe account" or to pay an urgent fee through a link as a red flag, regardless of how official the message looks. See Is this LHDN email real? for the full checklist.
Does LHDN ever call to demand immediate payment of tax arrears?
LHDN's own fraud-alert page documents impersonation scams built around exactly this kind of urgent arrears or audit call. Genuine tax matters are handled through official written notices and LHDN's own channels, not resolved on the spot through a single phone call demanding an immediate transfer.
I got a message saying I have a tax refund waiting — how do I check if it's real?
Don't click the link in the message. Check your refund status directly through LHDN's official MyTax portal or website, typed in yourself, rather than through any link sent to you. A genuine refund does not require you to pay a fee or hand over card details first to "release" it.