Beware of SARS scam SMS targeting taxpayers
If you receive an SMS from the South African Revenue Service (SARS), don't immediately click the link, as it may be a scam.
With the start of tax season comes a scam targeting taxpayers who have received their refunds.
The scam alert contains an SMS referencing a refund under audit.
According to the SARS website: "The latest scam is an SMS indicating that SARS is conducting an audit on a Tax refund. The link leads you to a phishing website aimed at stealing your information."
By now, we should all be aware that clicking any link sent via SMS or email is unsafe. SARS advises taxpayers to ensure that any links they receive are legit before clicking them.
Michael Buswell, also known on social media as thatcybersafetyguy, suggested that people use a link checker if they are unsure about a link they have received.
He said that checking the link to make sure could save you from falling victim to a scam.
The link shown on the SARS message aims to get taxpayers to click on it, and it will take them to a phishing site that allows the scammer to access all the user's personal information.
SARS provided some key tips on how to protect yourself from scams and phishing:
- Do not open or respond to emails from unknown sources.
- Beware of emails or SMSs asking for personal, tax, banking or eFiling details.
- SARS will never send you hyperlinks to other websites.
READ MORE: Warning over new broken windscreen scam
If you are uncertain, you can always check out the list of scams SARS is aware of here or contact their IT team on [email protected].
mailto:[email protected]
Check out the video below from YouTube on how to spot scams.
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