SARS Highlights Fraud Threats Ahead of 2025 Tax Season

The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has issued a fresh alert about fraudulent schemes surfacing ahead of the 2025 tax season. Standard Bank has also flagged an uptick in criminal behaviour, cautioning the public to be extra vigilant as the annual filing period begins. These coordinated warnings highlight the seriousness of the threat and signal that taxpayers across the country may be facing a surge in sophisticated scam operations.

Key Takeaways

• SARS Warns of Sophisticated Phishing Scams: Taxpayers are being targeted by convincing SMS and email scams impersonating SARS, often including fake audit notices and phishing links designed to steal personal or banking information.
• High-Risk Period During Filing Season: Fraudulent activity is expected to spike between 7 July and 20 October 2025, coinciding with SARS auto-assessments and manual filing periods when taxpayers are most active and vulnerable.
• Criminals Use Fear and Urgency Tactics: Scammers rely on intimidation, false legal threats, and fake payment instructions to manipulate victims into sharing sensitive data or transferring money to fraudulent accounts.

Phishing Scam Impersonates SARS Audit Communication

SARS has identified a new form of scam that involves sending deceptive SMS messages to taxpayers. These messages falsely claim that the revenue authority is conducting an audit related to a tax refund. The fraudulent message contains a link which, when clicked, directs the user to a phishing website that has been carefully crafted to harvest sensitive personal and financial information.

This fraudulent approach is not unique, as it closely follows a longstanding pattern of tactics used by cybercriminals to trick unsuspecting taxpayers into taking actions that expose their private data. These scams continue to evolve but rely on the same core strategy of impersonation and deception. Many of these schemes are designed to appear urgent and official, playing on fears of penalties or missed refunds to prompt instant action.

SARS Advises Taxpayers to Avoid Unknown Messages and Links

As has always been advised in previous years, SARS continues to urge taxpayers to avoid engaging with any message received from unfamiliar senders. In particular, individuals are reminded not to click on any links included in unsolicited emails or text messages. Even a single click can compromise your entire digital identity, allowing criminals access to online banking, emails, and tax profiles.

SARS reiterated that it does not include hyperlinks in its SMS or email communications. Any message requesting personal, tax-related, banking, or eFiling login information should be treated with suspicion. These types of requests are not legitimate and should be reported immediately. This longstanding policy exists to help taxpayers quickly distinguish between real communication and fraudulent attempts to extract confidential information.

Ongoing Surge in Scams as Filing Season Opens

The current SMS scam, which falsely references SARS audit procedures, adds to an already extensive list of fraud attempts that South African taxpayers are urged to recognise and avoid. These attempts often peak at the start of the filing season, when criminals take advantage of the increase in official communications from SARS. Scammers deliberately time their attacks to coincide with legitimate communication spikes, knowing that confusion and urgency increase the chances of success.

Standard Bank Highlights Fraud Spike During Filing Period

According to Standard Bank’s Head of Fraud Risk Management, Athaly Khan, fraudulent activity typically surges at the onset of tax season. Criminals seek to capitalise on taxpayers who are focused on meeting their tax obligations and may not scrutinise communications closely. Even financially savvy individuals are being caught out, as fraudsters now use tools like fake call centre numbers, cloned websites, and manipulated caller IDs.

High-Risk Period for Taxpayers Runs Until 20 October 2025

Although fraudulent schemes can appear at any time during the year, the highest risk period is between 20 July and 20 October 2025. This is when the majority of individual taxpayers are actively engaged in finalising their tax affairs, making them more susceptible to scams. This period is effectively a goldmine for fraud syndicates, who intensify efforts knowing that millions of South Africans are submitting returns.

Among the most commonly used techniques are fraudulent alerts designed to prompt users to change their banking details, phishing messages, and scams involving threats of legal action. Other attempts include impersonating SARS through phone calls or electronic messages that claim tax discrepancies have been identified. Some even go as far as spoofing legitimate domains or embedding malware in seemingly harmless attachments.

One of the methods described involves extortion, where criminals falsely state that they are investigating a tax return and have discovered significant irregularities. They may go so far as to present forged documentation to make the claim appear legitimate.

To gain compliance, scammers frequently rely on intimidation. They may threaten the victim with penalties or legal action, using scare tactics to create a sense of urgency. This manipulation is designed to lower defences and push victims to follow instructions without questioning the source. Fear-based coercion is a powerful tool, particularly when it mimics official enforcement language.

After convincing the taxpayer that their return is under scrutiny, the scammers often request a payment to supposedly close the investigation. This can involve transferring money to a fake account under the pretext of settling a fictitious debt owed to SARS. These fake investigations often involve invented case numbers, deadlines, or discount offers for “early resolution”.

False Account Numbers Used to Divert Funds

Alternatively, the criminal may provide banking details that they claim belong to SARS and ask the victim to send payment to this account. In reality, the funds go directly to the fraudsters, who then disappear without a trace.

In many cases, fraudsters go further by claiming they are affiliated with reputable organisations such as banks, the police, or regulatory authorities. These false claims are intended to boost the scam’s credibility and reduce suspicion. The tactic of impersonating authority figures plays on trust and makes victims more compliant.

Some taxpayers may genuinely owe money to SARS, which makes it easier for criminals to deceive them. The presence of legitimate-looking details in the messages can make them seem credible, leading victims to proceed without verifying the information.

Fake Communications May Include Malicious Software

Khan warned that phishing messages often contain dangerous links or attachments, such as icons, QR codes, or PDF files. These can install malware on a recipient’s device, potentially giving hackers access to sensitive data, including online banking and SARS eFiling profiles. Some of the latest malware strains are capable of bypassing two-factor authentication, posing a severe risk to financial security.

Traditional phishing scams continue to circulate, requesting users to enter banking or card details under the guise of verifying tax information. Once entered, the information is used to access or drain bank accounts. This tactic remains alarmingly effective, particularly among first-time filers or those unfamiliar with online tax procedures.

Examples of Common Tax Scams Circulating

Several types of fraudulent messages and emails have been identified, including those that:

• Claim SARS is about to issue court summonses against taxpayers
• State that SARS has blacklisted an individual
• Announce that SARS has placed a stop order on a bank account
• Notify of money allegedly owed to or from the taxpayer
• Delay payments citing a pending FICA review
• Warn of a SARS audit currently in progress

SARS Shares Preventative Guidelines for Taxpayers

SARS has repeated its call for the public to remain cautious and report any suspicious emails, SMS messages, or phone calls that request personal or financial information. A dedicated team is now monitoring emerging threats and updating SARS’ online alerts to reflect the latest tactics being observed.

Key Reminders from SARS to Avoid Tax Fraud

Taxpayers are advised to:

• Avoid opening or responding to communications from unknown senders.
• Never provide personal, banking, or SARS login details to unauthorised individuals or platforms.
• Remember that SARS will not request banking details via post, email, or SMS. Verification may be done telephonically, but only during authenticated contact.
• Be cautious of emails or messages that contain links, especially those leading to external websites.
• Ignore SMS messages from unknown sources and avoid clicking on attached files with .htm or .html extensions.
• Refrain from entering credit card details into websites claiming to represent SARS.

Failure to follow these precautions could result in direct financial loss or identity theft.

Conclusion

As the 2025 tax season approaches, South African taxpayers must remain alert to a sharp rise in scams posing as SARS correspondence. Criminals are using more polished and intimidating tactics to exploit confusion during auto-assessments and manual filings. By ignoring suspicious messages, avoiding unsolicited links, and verifying all SARS-related communication through official channels, taxpayers can significantly reduce their risk of falling victim to fraud.