Revitalised from their end-of-year vacation, South Africans typically tackle the new year with gusto and renewed vigour. It is also a time when students who matriculated the year before, start the next phase of their journey as they enter into universities and colleges eager to further their education.

The South African fraud landscape is becoming increasingly risky as fraudsters and scammers look to target individuals with highly sophisticated scams in an environment where it is becoming increasingly difficult for lawmakers and authorities to bring these criminals to justice.

The end of October signals the culmination of a busy period for the South African Revenue Service (SARS). The deadlines for filing the first portion of Provisional Tax (for the six months ending 31 August) and the annual filing of Personal Income Tax (23 October) give SARS plenty to assess and audit in the weeks following these important dates.

The South African fraud landscape has increased significantly over the past three years, with impersonation fraud, money muling and forged documentation being the most significant challenges the Southern African Fraud Prevention Services (SAFPS) have had to deal with. This year alone, there has been a dramatic increase in money muling and forged documents.