As the 2026 tax season gets underway, fraudsters are targeting unsuspecting taxpayers, warns Standard Bank. Historically, these criminals ramp up activity as tax season approaches, with the sole intent of defrauding consumers.
“We’ve seen many cases where fraudsters send bait communication through text, email, WhatsApp or phone calls. The communication sent may claim that you have a tax refund, owe a tax penalty, or are being investigated for breaking tax laws,” says Standard Bank Head of Fraud Operations, Client Experience and Risk Execution, Marius le Roux.
Using these tactics, fraudsters can gain access to your banking profile, steal your money, or trick you into sending them money.
Below are some of the most common ways Standard Bank has seen fraudsters try to scam customers.
Extortion and ‘Secure Account’ Scams
Fraudsters may contact you claiming there’s a problem with your 2025 tax return and that you could face legal action. They often send fake documents to make the story seem real. “They may try to scare you so that you panic and follow their instructions,” says Le Roux.
Once they believe you’re convinced, they will ask you to pay money to make the issue go away. In other cases, they may give you a fake account number and say you must pay money owed to SARS, or move your money to a “safe” account while they investigate. They often pretend to be working with the bank, the police, or other authorities.
Change of Banking Details
Fraudsters may send you fake SARS banking details, saying that you owe money. Because some people are expecting communication, these messages can seem believable. However, the bank accounts they provide belong to fraudsters, not SARS. They may also offer a discount if you pay quickly, hoping you won’t take time to check.
Fake messages with links and QR codes
Fraudsters may send fake messages with links, attachments or QR codes, asking you to click, download or scan. These can be sent via email, SMS or WhatsApp.
These links, files or QR codes may contain malicious software that can be downloaded onto your device, giving fraudsters access to your device and banking profile. Sometimes they redirect you to a fake SARS or Banking site, prompting you to capture sensitive information, such as your login credentials, One-Time-Pin, or card details.
Key takeaways
- Always stop and think before making a payment to someone you don’t know. Speak to someone you trust first.
- Your bank or official organisations can secure your money themselves. They won’t ask you to move it to another account.
- Always check banking details directly with the organisation before making a payment. For SARS payments, you may use the business directory offered on digital channels.
- Be careful of links, attachments and QR codes.
- The bank will never ask you to click a link or scan a code to access your account, approve payments, or update your information.
“Things are not always what they seem. Scams pretending to be from SARS are likely to increase, so customers need to stay alert,” says Le Roux.