Local businessman scammed by fake Sars reps
Sars scammers put the R2 000 in their socks before disappearing without a trace.
Local business owner, Mohammed Motala, wants to warn other business owners to be vigilant after he had been scammed by so-called South African Revenue Services (Sars) representatives.
It was a normal day at his hardware shop in Lewisham earlier in May until two so-called Sars representatives showed up and demanded to speak with the owner of the business.
The two men asked if they could speak with Motala in private where they introduced themselves as Sars officials.
They informed him that he had been underpaying and underestimating his tax by R87 000.
According to Motala, the one official then faked a phone call and kept asking “what must we do now?”.
“They were very convincing, they had cards and badges from Sars,” Motala explained.
He referred the officials to his bookkeeper, when the one asked him how they could sort out the problem.
“They threatened to take me to Rissik Street and said that I would be fined heavily should I go through with a hearing.”
The official then offered to write off his so-called debt of R87 000 for R10 000 on the spot.
Motala then went to another shop owner and borrowed R2 000 to give to the Sars officials as a deposit.
He only got suspicious when they could not give him a receipt and put the money in their socks.
The one official said the area is not safe and that is why he is putting the money in a safe place.
Before leaving the shop the officials vowed to return the next day to collect the outstanding fine money, but instead disappeared without a trace.
Motala has been trying to phone the number of the official which simply goes to voice mail every time.
“In all the 30 year I have been trading here, I have never been scammed before. I would like to warn to public as these two men look authentic and real,” Motala concluded.
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