NATIONAL NEWS - SARS has cautioned the public against a new phishing scam in which fraudsters claim recipients are owed a tax refund and direct them to a fake website to claim the money.
Fake refund messages on the rise
According to SARS, scammers are now using AI to create professional-looking emails that are increasingly difficult to distinguish from legitimate communication.
"If you receive one of these messages, delete it immediately and block the sender," SARS advised. Taxpayers who are unsure whether a message is genuine are encouraged to contact the SARS IT Security team or visit the SARS scams and phishing webpage for the latest examples.
Never share personal information
SARS said fraudsters often send spoofed emails that appear to come from addresses such as [email protected] or [email protected], claiming taxpayers qualify for a refund.
These messages typically contain links to fake forms or websites designed to steal sensitive information, including banking details and personal data.
The revenue service stressed that it will never request passwords, one-time PINs (OTPs), banking PINs or eFiling login credentials via email, SMS, social media or telephone.
How to protect yourself
SARS urged taxpayers to use only official SARS channels and to verify the credentials of any tax practitioner before sharing personal information. Registered tax practitioners can be verified through SARS.
The revenue service also advised taxpayers to:
- Ignore and delete emails or SMSes from unknown sources.
- Never click on links requesting banking, tax or eFiling details.
- Remember that SARS will never ask for banking details via email, SMS or post, or send links to bank websites.
- Be cautious of suspicious SMSes claiming to be from SARS.
- Note that SARS does not send .htm or .html attachments.
- Never provide credit card information in response to a SARS communication.
Anyone who suspects they have received a phishing message can report it to the SARS IT Security team at [email protected] or contact the Fraud and Anti-Corruption Hotline on 0800 00 2870.
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