An e-mail claiming taxpayers are owed money is fraudulent and no more than
an attempt to get banking details, known as phishing. The e-mail - sent on a
South African Revenue Services letterhead and featuring authentic links at
the bottom - informs the user that a tax refund of R3 482.50 is due to them.
Although the e-mail appears to be from Sars, the actual address,
refunds@itaxreturn.co.za, is fake. A link is provided in the text to submit
a request for the tax return. When a user clicks on the link, they are
directed to a replica of the original website which displays the logos of
Standard Bank, Absa, First National Bank and Nedbank. Users are requested to
click on the appropriate link, which then directs them to a fraudulent
internet banking page that requires account numbers and passwords to receive
the funds. All other links on the fake Sars websites and the banks' websites
are authentic. Sars spokesman, Adrian Lackay, said the basic rules remained
the same for any type of scam. "Sars will always pay monies directly into
your bank account. There is no need to disclose personal banking details. If
you are unsure about a refund, please do not hesitate to contact the call
centre (on 0800 00 72 77)," Lackay said. Unscrupulous people were trying to
capitalise on the department's intensive communication efforts, he said. Lee
Albertyn, head of Virtual Channels at Nedbank Retail, said the incident was
a typical example of a phishing scam. "This particular variation of the
scam, which purports to emanate from the South African Revenue Service, is
known to Nedbank and has been used on several occasions, both against
Nedbank and other South African banks." ABSA Bank's head of media relations,
Patrick Wadula, said he was not aware of any complaints received from
clients. "If a client receives an email from an unknown source, it is best
not to open the e-mail. We do not ask our clients to provide bank details
and pin numbers over email. "People must be aware of thieves requesting such
passwords over the internet and via SMSes," he said. Sars communications
officer, Sibabalwenathi Mfabe, said the scam first surfaced in 2007, and
resurfaced annually. "The syndicates try to align their operational periods
with the filing period for taxpayers to submit their returns."
This article was originally published on page 3 of Daily News on December
29, 2009