South Africa’s biggest bank by total assets, Standard Bank is warning customers of a new tax-related scam doing the rounds as tax season gets into full swing.
The bank said that the prevalence of scams has increased, and with July being the opening of tax season in South Africa, tax-related hooks are becoming more common.
It pointed to this specific modus operandi:
- You receive a fraudulent email that looks like it comes from Standard Bank.
- This email says that your tax certificate is attached or even that you’re eligible for a tax refund.
- You’re asked to click on a link or attachment and provide your personal information or digital banking credentials.
- Criminals use your details to access your account(s) and steal your money.
How to protect yourself
Keep your login details, passwords or account information private. Don’t share it with anyone, even if they ask, said Standard Bank.
“We’ll never ask for your personal, tax, banking or eFiling details via a link in an email, and neither will SARS. You won’t receive communication from us with an attachment or link to your IT3(b) income tax certificate,” it said.
Remain vigilant and know what to look out for, the bank stated.
Fraud continues to pose the risk of serious financial losses for banking customers. All indicators are pointing toward the fact that there are new scams and an increasing number of victims, warned Reana Steyn, the Ombudsman for Banking Services (OBS) at the start of the year.
The basic…
