South Africa's tax agency says a fake WhatsApp profile of its Commissioner is being used to call people about tax debt they may not owe.
The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has warned about a fake WhatsApp profile that pretends to be its Commissioner. Scammers are using it to call taxpayers about supposed unpaid tax. The agency posted the warning on 11 November 2026.
The agency says the Commissioner does not phone individual taxpayers about payments. Any such call is a scam. A message about money you owe can feel urgent, and that is the point. Pressure makes people act before they think.
SARS also says it will never ask for passwords, one-time PINs, banking PINs or eFiling login details. That holds for phone, email, SMS and social media. A one-time PIN is a short code sent to your phone to approve a login or payment. Anyone who gets that code can often move your money.
Taxpayers and business owners in South Africa are the main targets, especially anyone who uses WhatsApp or gets calls about tax payments. If no one has contacted you, there is nothing to fix. Just know the pattern: an official name, a debt claim and a rush.
The steps in the alert box above cover what to do if a call comes. In short, hang up and check through official SARS channels.
The notice does not say how many people have been called or whether anyone has lost money. It also does not say how long the profile has been active. Reports can go to the agency's Anti-Corruption Hotline at 0800 00 2870.
The tax commissioner does not call people about payments, so hang up and never share a PIN or password.
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