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Don’t fall for It! Tax refund scam targeting South Africans
The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has released a warning for taxpayers about a scam that is targeting returns.
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The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has released a warning for taxpayers who are currently filing their tax returns.
The latest scam is an SMS indicating you are eligible for a refund.
To ‘complete your refund’ the scam asks that you click a link, which links to a fraudulent website.
See an example of the latest refund scam here.
SARS has reminded taxpayers – and the public in general – to always make sure an email or SMS is genuine before clicking on any link.
Protect yourself from scams and phishing!
Do not open or respond to emails from unknown sources.
Beware of emails or SMSs asking for personal, tax, banking or eFiling details.
SARS will never send you hyperlinks to other websites.
All known scams are listed on the Scams and Phishing webpage and if in doubt, email the IT security team on phishing@sars.gov.za.
NEW SARS WHATSAPP CHANNEL
Meanwhile, as reported by The South African website, SARS has launched a new WhatsApp channel for taxpayers to access information regarding their tax refunds and other tax-related queries quicker than before.
The channel is specifically for tax queries related to personal income tax, the service said, and is available on both the mobile and desktop versions of WhatsApp.
AUTO-ASSESSMENTS
Meanwhile, as reported by The South African website, SARS has calmed fears over auto-assessment notifications
SARS has reminded those taxpayers who haven’t received an auto-assessment notification that the process will take two weeks.
Auto-assessments started on Monday, 1 July and will continue until the opening of the 2024 tax season on Monday, 15 July.
Those taxpayers who haven’t received a notification can check to see if they are due to receive one – or not – by checking their status on the SARS Online Query System (SOQS).