SARS phishing alert | What to do if you receive a ‘final demand – debt management’ email
Sars said fraudsters pretending to be Sars employees are sending fake emails to taxpayers and businesses. File Picture: Timothy Bernard / Independent Newspapers
Image: Timothy Bernard / Independent Newspapers
The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has issued a warning to taxpayers about a new phishing scam circulating via email, disguised as a “Final Demand – Debt Management” notice.
The alert comes just days after the deadline for non-provisional taxpayers to file their 2025 income tax returns, which closed on 20 October 2025. According to the revenue service, the fraudulent emails are being sent under subject lines such as “LEGAL RULING SUMMON DEMAND AS AT 21 10 2025.”
According to SARS the messages contain a fake PDF letter that includes a link to a phishing website designed to mimic the official SARS eFiling portal.
"Beware of a PDF letter being emailed to people with the email subject line ‘LEGAL RULING SUMMON DEMAND AS AT 21 10 2025’. Scams are changed on a regular basis, so the subject line may differ. The letter contains a link to a fraudulent phishing website".
The revenue service also warned taxpayers not to interact with these messages or click on any links.
"Please do not click on any links. You should always type in the SARS eFiling address in your browser or click on the eFiling login from the SARS website homepage (sars.gov.za). If in doubt, go to our Scams and Phishing webpage where we will publish some examples or forward the suspicious email to phishing@sars.gov.za".
IOL previously reported that revenue has in the past, also cautioned taxpayers about a scam designed to steal personal information under the guise of a tax refund audit.
"The latest scam is an SMS indicating that SARS is conducting an audit on a Tax refund. The link leads you to a phishing website, aimed at stealing your information. See the scam prototype here".
IOL Business
mthobisi.nozulela@iol.co.za