Another SARS scam warning: What taxpayers must know
· The South African
Fraudsters are targeting South African taxpayers with increasingly convincing scams as the 2026 tax season continues.
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Criminals use fake SARS emails, SMSes, refund notifications and phone calls to steal personal information, banking details and money.
The Southern African Fraud Prevention Service (SAFPS) has urged taxpayers to remain alert during tax season, when criminals often exploit the expectation of communication from the South African Revenue Service (SARS).
Fraudsters also create a sense of urgency to pressure taxpayers into acting before they check whether the communication is legitimate.
Scammers use fake SARS refunds
One common scam tells taxpayers that SARS owes them a refund.
Criminals send messages that include links and ask recipients to confirm personal or banking details before they can supposedly receive the money.
The links can direct victims to fraudulent websites designed to steal their information.
Other scammers take the opposite approach and claim that taxpayers owe SARS money.
They may threaten penalties or legal action unless the recipient makes an immediate payment.
Criminals can also target legitimate eFiling profiles. Once they gain access, they can change banking details and redirect genuine tax refunds.
SARS tells taxpayers what to watch for
SARS says it will never ask taxpayers to provide passwords, one-time PINs, banking PINs or eFiling login credentials through email, SMS, social media or telephone.
The revenue service also regularly publishes examples of fraudulent messages on its scams and phishing page.
In July, SARS warned taxpayers about a fraudulent email that appeared to come from one of its employees.
The email contained a PDF attachment and a link designed to obtain personal information.
SARS urged taxpayers not to open the attachment or click on the link.
How taxpayers can protect themselves
Taxpayers should avoid clicking links in unexpected messages that claim to come from SARS.
Instead, they can log directly into their eFiling profiles to check whether SARS has issued correspondence or whether they qualify for a refund.
Consumers should also check the sender carefully and avoid giving banking information, passwords or OTPs to anyone who contacts them unexpectedly.
Anyone who suspects that criminals have compromised their eFiling profile should contact SARS and their bank as soon as possible.