Cybercrime Southeast Europe Newsletter No. 88

Tax Administration Warning – Fraudulent Emails and Scam Attempts

The Tax Administration of the Republic of Serbia has issued a warning to citizens regarding increasingly frequent attempts of fraud via email, in which unknown senders falsely present themselves as the Tax Administration.

These emails are often designed to appear official and credible. They typically claim that the recipient has outstanding tax liabilities, accrued interest, additional tax obligations, or, in some cases, a right to a tax refund. The purpose of such messages is to create a sense of urgency or concern, prompting recipients to open attachments, click on links, or provide requested information.

It is important to emphasize the following: the Tax Administration will never request personal or financial information via email, nor will it ask citizens to enter data through links contained in such messages. Additionally, the Tax Administration does not send emails requesting “confirmation” of tax refunds, nor does it demand payment of tax obligations through email communication.

Official electronic communication from the Tax Administration of the Republic of Serbia is conducted exclusively through email addresses belonging to the @purs.gov.rs domain. Any message received from a different domain, regardless of its content or appearance, should be considered suspicious.

We also remind clients of general security rules:

• Banks and public authorities never request card numbers, PINs, CVV codes, or access credentials via email or SMS.
• Links and attachments received from unverified or unknown sources should not be opened.
• Personal and financial data should never be entered on websites whose authenticity has not been verified.

If you receive such an email and are unsure of its authenticity, the recommendation is not to open it, not to respond, and not to follow any instructions contained therein. Instead, delete the message and use only the official communication channels of the Tax Administration to verify any information.

Such scams are becoming increasingly common and may result in serious financial losses and misuse of personal data. Awareness and caution remain the most effective forms of protection.

Kind regards,
Attorney Zoran Miljaković