Tax season scam alert: Think before you click that SARS refund message

Scammers are impersonating SARS with fake refund messages this filing season. Here's how to protect yourself and avoid falling victim.

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Fake SARS refund messages are circulating this tax season. Taxpayers are urged to stop, check, and verify before clicking any links.

Government has warned of a new wave of scams targeting taxpayers this filing season, with fraudsters sending messages pretending to be from SARS and offering refunds.

Here’s how it works

Taxpayers receive an email or SMS claiming they are due a refund. The message may look official, but the link leads to a destination designed to steal personal information, banking details, and passwords.

The South African Revenue Service has repeatedly warned that it never sends links asking taxpayers to click through to claim refunds.

What you should do

If you receive a message claiming to be from SARS:

Stop: Do not click on any links.
Check: Go directly to the SARS eFiling website or the SARS MobiApp. Do not use the link in the message.
Verify: Log in to your official SARS account to check if you have any legitimate refunds or queries.

The golden rule? SARS will never ask for your banking details or password via email or SMS. If in doubt, log in directly and check for yourself.