13 July 2022
To raise public awareness SARS created a section on their website where they post up to date information on any email or SMS scams, they become aware of.
Members of the public are randomly emailed with false “spoofed” emails made to look as if these emails were sent from SARS but are in fact fraudulent emails aimed at enticing unsuspecting taxpayers to part with personal information such as bank account details. Examples include emails that appear to be from Retuns@Sars.Co.Za or refunds@sars.co.za indicating that taxpayers are eligible to receive tax refunds. These emails contain links to false forms and fake websites made to look like the “real thing”, but with the aim of fooling people into entering personal information such as bank account details which the criminals then extract and use fraudulently.
If you received an email that you suspect is a part of a scam or phishing send an email to Phishing@Sars.Co.Za or call the Fraud and Anti-Corruption Hotline on 0800 00 2870.
Basic rules to remember
When you suspect foul play remember that SARS will never:
- ask money to complete a survey
- ask you for your personal details
- pay you to complete the survey
- force people to complete a survey, if not interested, you are welcome to decline.
When you suspect a scam take note of the following:
- Do not open or respond to emails from unknown sources.
- Beware of emails that ask for personal, tax, banking and eFiling details (login credentials, passwords, pins, credit / debit card information, etc.).
- SARS will never request your banking details in any communication that you receive via post, email, or SMS. However, for the purpose of telephonic engagement and authentication purposes, SARS will verify your personal details. Importantly, SARS will not send you any hyperlinks to other websites – even those of banks.
- Beware of false SMSs.
- SARS does not send *.htm or *.html attachments.
- SARS will never ask for your credit card details.
To keep up to date on current SARS surveys, emails and SMSs, click here.
Check out the latest scam purport to be a summons letter from SARS here.
