What is Identity Fraud?
Types of Identity Fraud
Phishing: Use of email “phishing” scams requesting you to provide your private and confidential information via a website link is an essential tool currently used by these conmen. SARS will never ask you for information such as your eFiling details (login details, passwords, pins, credit/debit card information, etc.) in an email or over the phone.
Refund Scams: An identity thief can use a legitimate taxpayer’s identity file a tax return and claim a refund fraudulently. Another threat is that the criminal makes use of your information to change the banking details on your profile. See some examples of scams and phishing.
Identity Theft: The latest scam involves taxpayers being called by a person purporting to be a SARS employee, to inform them that SARS owes them money. SARS will never notify you about refunds by telephone or email.
Identifying a Possible Scam
- More than one tax return has been filed in your name
- You have a balance due, refund offset or have had collection actions taken against you for a year you did not file a tax return, or
- SARS records indicate you received a salary from an employer that you don’t work for
- You receive a letter/email or fax claiming to be from SARS, informing you that there has been a payment error and you have been refunded incorrectly. The criminal requests you to deposit the “overpayment” into a bank account
- You receive an email requesting eFiling details (login details, passwords, pins, credit/debit card information, etc.).
Reporting Suspicious Activity, Identity Theft or Fraud
- Filling in the suspicious-activity report form online
- Calling the Contact Centre on 012 422 7435 to confirm a SARS official is in fact an employee
- Contacting our Anti-Corruption and Fraud Hotline on 0800 00 2870
- Phoning the SARS Contact Centre on 0800 00 SARS (7277)
- Visiting your nearest SARS branch to verify the information.