An elderly man from Durban, Jairaj Sathdav, is demanding answers after discovering that a tax refund of over R37,000, which was due to him, was deposited into a TymeBank account he didn’t open, and then quickly withdrawn. Sathdav, 68, was shocked when he learned that the money from the South African Revenue Service (SARS) was transferred to an account he had no knowledge of.
Sathdav, a retired former Standard Bank clerk, had received refunds from SARS in previous years, usually for deductions related to his R8,500 monthly medical aid premiums. However, this time, despite completing his tax returns as usual, the refund was deposited into a TymeBank account instead of his Standard Bank account, which was the one SARS had on file.
Confused and frustrated, Sathdav went to the SARS offices in uMhlanga, where he had completed his tax return, only to be told that the refund had been transferred to TymeBank. When he approached the bank, he was shown statements that confirmed the existence of the account, but to his surprise, the money had already been withdrawn in daily R2,000 installments between July 4 and 22, 2024.
TymeBank advised Sathdav to open a fraud case with the police, which he did at Newlands East police station on July 30, 2024. The police are now investigating the incident, with KZN police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda confirming that they are looking into the fraudulent deposit and subsequent withdrawal.
SARS also became involved, requesting Sathdav to provide documents such as a selfie, his ID copy, and an affidavit. Failure to submit these within 21 days would result in the closure of the internal investigation. SARS spokesperson Siphithi Sibeko stated that a thorough investigation would be conducted by their forensic team, although they are prohibited from sharing any confidential taxpayer information.
Meanwhile, Sathdav is desperately seeking answers about how the account was opened and who is responsible for submitting his details to TymeBank. According to bank records, the TymeBank account had been operating since November 2023, when a smaller deposit was made by SARS, followed by a withdrawal later that day. Sathdav is baffled by how his personal information was used without his consent, especially since he has been a Standard Bank account holder for over 40 years, with all his previous refunds being deposited into that account.
The confusion deepened when Sathdav contacted the SARS call center and was told that he allegedly owed SARS R39,000, which contradicted the fact that he was expecting a refund of R37,842. “If I owe them money, how was the refund paid to TymeBank?” Sathdav asked.
With the investigation still ongoing, Sathdav is left in limbo, seeking clarity on how his personal details were used to open the fraudulent TymeBank account and where his refund disappeared to. The situation continues to unfold as he waits for answers from both SARS and TymeBank.
