Free checker

Is this GST notice real or fake?

ScamShield AI is a free tool that checks whether a GST notice is fake, in seconds, with no signup. Paste a GST demand notice, summons or letter and it flags the tell-tale signs of a forgery, then points you to the DIN or RFN that settles it on the official portal. Nothing you paste leaves your browser.

By Darshil Thummar, MSc Information Security & Digital Forensics · CTO, ScamShield AI

Paste the GST notice text. Free, instant, in your browser

We scan for common fake-notice signals entirely in your browser. Nothing you paste is sent, stored, or logged. Verify the DIN on the official CBIC portal or an RFN at services.gst.gov.in.

A threatening “GST demand notice” lands in your inbox or on WhatsApp: pay within 24 hours or your registration is cancelled, a case is filed, someone is arrested. The letterhead looks official, the language is frightening, and there is a link to “verify” or “pay”. For a busy Indian SME, the pressure alone is enough to make someone click or transfer money.

Genuine tax notices do exist, but they follow rules a fake almost never gets right. This free checker looks for those tells, and points you to the one thing that settles it: the official DIN or RFN verification.

What a fake GST notice looks like

How do you know if a GST notice is fake?

A lookalike link

Genuine GST and CBIC communications only ever link to a *.gov.in address. A “verify” or “pay” link to gst-verify-portal.in or gstindia-payment.com is a forgery built to harvest money and credentials.

A coercive deadline

“Pay within 24 hours or face cancellation/arrest.” Real notices give a statutory window to reply and follow an appeal process. Hour-long deadlines and arrest threats are pressure tactics, not procedure.

Payment to a personal account

A genuine demand is paid only through the official GST portal challan. A notice asking you to transfer to a personal UPI ID, wallet or bank account is fraud, every time.

A missing or unverifiable DIN / RFN

Since 2019 CBIC communications carry a Document Identification Number (DIN), formatted CBIC-YYYY MM ZCDR NNNN; GST-portal notices now carry a Reference Number (RFN). If there is none, or it will not verify on the official portal, do not act on it.

What to do if you think it’s fake

What should you do if a GST notice is fake?

Don’t click or pay

Do not open the link, download the attachment, or transfer any money, however urgent the wording sounds.

Verify the DIN or RFN

Verify a CBIC DIN on cbic.gov.in, or a GST RFN at services.gst.gov.in. No match means it is not a genuine notice.

Report it

Report the fraud on cybercrime.gov.in or call the national cyber-fraud helpline 1930. Warn your accounts team so no one pays it.

Questions about checking a GST notice

How do I know if a GST notice is real or fake?

Genuine tax communications follow rules a fake rarely gets right. Since 2019, CBIC communications carry a Document Identification Number (DIN) and GST-portal notices carry a Reference Number (RFN). A real notice will also never demand payment into a personal account, never threaten immediate arrest, and never link to a domain other than gst.gov.in. The free checker on this page scans pasted notice text for those signals, but the DIN or RFN is what settles it, so verify that on the official portal before you act.

Does this tool confirm a GST notice is genuine?

No. It detects common signals of a fake and can tell you a notice is suspicious. It cannot confirm a notice is genuine, because that requires verifying the DIN or RFN against CBIC's own records. Treat a clean result as no obvious red flags found, not as this notice is real.

Is the notice I paste sent anywhere?

No. The check runs entirely in your browser using plain JavaScript. The text you paste is never sent to a server, stored, or logged. Only an anonymous outcome flag is recorded so we know how often the tool is used.

What should I do if a GST notice looks fake?

Do not open its links, download its attachments, or transfer any money, however urgent the wording. Find the DIN or RFN and verify it on the official portal. If there is no identifier, or it will not verify, do not act on the notice. If you have already paid, call 1930 and file at cybercrime.gov.in immediately, because speed decides whether the transfer can be frozen.

Catch the fake before it reaches your inbox.

This free tool checks one notice you paste. ScamShield AI checks every email your business receives, flagging fake GST notices, impersonation and payment fraud automatically, before you even open them.

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