Management has been made aware of several bank account scams involving HSRC stakeholders. Please note that the HSRC has not changed its banking details since the account was opened in 1991. The South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC) has also warned that a scam informing people of a ‘Change in Banking Details’ is rising in the country.

Criminals are always on the lookout for new ways to make easy money. However, most fraud is just old ideas that catch new people. Stakeholders must be aware of business-to-business identity theft scams involving fraudulent transactions into accounts not belonging to suppliers.

Perpetrators of this scam usually assume the identity of an entity, in this case, the HSRC. The fraudsters may call the targeted business to introduce themselves as the new account manager at the HSRC. An email or a letter using fraudulent letterheads is sent to inform the targeted business of changes in the HSRC’s banking account details. The perpetrators will request that all future payments be made to the new account. Please be warned that the new bank details belong to an account under the control of the fraudsters.

Official letter from HSRC’s CFO, Jacomien Rousseau, below:

All suspicious activities of fraud should be reported to the HSRC Anti-Fraud Hotline, which is an anonymous line:

Free Fraud Hotline:           0800 205 138

Email                                hsrc@thehotline.co.za

SMS                                 30916

Fax                                   086 726 1681

Website                           www.thehotline.co.za with number 0800 205 138 to report