South African taxpayers are being warned of a surge in fraudulent emails and SMS messages claiming they owe money
South African taxpayers are being warned of a surge in fraudulent emails and SMS messages claiming they owe money to the South African Revenue Service (SARS).
According to Junaid Bhayla, Team Lead for Tax Debt at Tax Consulting South Africa, these scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated, often mimicking official SARS correspondence and using urgent language to pressure recipients into making payments.
He said that the proliferation of these scams is partly fueled by heightened SARS enforcement, which scammers exploit to make their messages appear more credible.
'SARS have made revenue collection a clear strategic priority as pressure on the fiscus continues to intensify. The problem that accompanies this is that scammers recognise the opportunity for crime that this creates," Bhayla said.
