SARS warns of AI-generated tax refund phishing emails

The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has issued a warning about a new wave of phishing messages that use artificial intelligence to impersonate official tax correspondence and lure people to fake websites to claim refunds.

How the scam works

SARS said criminals are sending both SMSes and emails that claim recipients qualify for a tax refund. One of the messages circulating promises a payout of R48 900. The messages direct recipients to a fraudulent website where they are asked to complete forms to claim the money.

The tax authority warned that AI is being used to produce highly convincing emails that closely resemble legitimate SARS communications, using official branding, formatting and persuasive language. An example subject line reported in the warning is: “Tax Return Notification – Assessment Complete.” That message tells recipients their assessment is complete and asks them to complete an online form; the link leads to a fraudulent site.

What SARS is advising taxpayers to do

SARS urged recipients not to click any links in the suspicious messages and offered clear steps for dealing with them:

• Delete the SMS or email immediately.
• Block the sender.
• Report suspicious emails to [email protected].
• Check the SARS Scams & Phishing webpage for examples of current scams.

Safety reminders from SARS

SARS reminded taxpayers to access services only through official SARS platforms and to never share banking details, passwords or one-time PINs in response to unsolicited emails or SMSes. The tax authority also urged people to verify unexpected communications before taking any action, as AI-generated scams become more sophisticated.