IRS Forensic Investigations (Pty) Ltd, including IRS Technical Division and all subsidiaries, is committed to protecting your personal information and respecting your privacy. This policy explains how we collect, use, store, share and protect personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) and other applicable laws.

 

1. Who We Are

 

IRS Forensic Investigations (Pty) Ltd
Registration Number: 2011/122311/07
Registered Security Services Provider Number: 2499707
Head Office: 11 3rd Avenue, Houghton Estate, Johannesburg, 2198, South Africa

 

2. Information We Collect

 

We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide when using our website, including when you submit the Report Fraud form, Contact form, or Client Checklists. This may include:

• Names (first name, surname).

• Job title or role.

• Contact details (phone numbers, email addresses).

• Address details, if provided.

• Any identifying numbers you include in your submission, such as ID or passport numbers.

• Information about alleged wrongdoing, including organisations involved, specific details of the issue, supporting documents, or evidence you provide.

• Your preferred method of contact.

• Any other information you include in free-text fields on our forms.

We may also collect non-personal information automatically via cookies and website analytics to improve functionality and monitor website usage.

 

Special Personal Information

 

We only process special personal information where legally permitted. This includes details such as race, political opinions, biometric data or information relating to alleged criminal offences.

 

3. How We Collect Information

 

Your information may be collected through:

• Our Report Fraud form.
• Our Contact form.
• Email communication.
• Telephone communication.
• Social media or public online platforms.
• Client Checklists completed when requesting services.
• Public records or lawful third party sources where applicable.

4. Purpose of Processing

 

We process your personal information for legitimate business and legal purposes, including:

• Assessing and responding to reports submitted via the Report Fraud form.
• Contacting you when consent has been provided.
• Providing investigation services and fulfilling contractual obligations.
• Preventing, detecting and investigating fraud or financial crime.
• Compliance with applicable laws and regulatory requirements.
• Internal administration and business management.
• Employment, internship and learnership applications.
• Supplier due diligence and payments.
• Creating and maintaining records required for legal and regulatory purposes.

5. Legal Basis for Processing

 

We process personal information based on:

• Your consent.
• Legal obligations.
• Legitimate interests.
• Contractual requirements.
• Public interest requirements where applicable.

6. Mandatory Information

 

Certain fields in our Report Fraud form, Contact form and Client Checklists are mandatory. These are required to allow us to respond appropriately or provide services. Mandatory fields are clearly marked.

 

7. Sharing of Personal Information

 

Your information may be shared only when necessary and lawful. This includes sharing with:

• Internal departments within IRS.
• Regulatory bodies such as tax authorities or law enforcement.
• Credit bureaus or verification service providers.
• Counter-parties in mediated settlements.
• Third party service providers who support our operations.

We do not share personal information with any third party that does not meet our data protection standards or is not legally entitled to access such information.

 

8. Cross-Border Transfer

 

Where information is transferred outside of South Africa, it is only shared with organisations that have privacy protections equivalent to POPIA or are bound by appropriate contractual safeguards.

 

9. Retention of Information

 

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this policy or as required by law. Regulatory retention periods may apply.

 

10. Your Rights

 

You have the right to:

• Request access to your personal information
• Request correction of inaccurate information
• Request deletion of your personal data (subject to legal retention requirements)
• Object to the processing of your personal information
• Request the transfer of your information to another party (data portability)

All requests must be submitted in writing to our Information Officer. Access information is detailed in our PAIA Manual available on our website.

 

11. Cookies and Website Tracking

 

Our website uses cookies and tracking technologies for functionality, analytics and security. These cookies help us understand how visitors use the website and improve user experience.

 

We use:

• Essential cookies that enable website functionality.
• Analytics cookies via Google Analytics.
• Search data monitoring via Google Search Console.

You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings. Some cookies are essential and disabling them may impact website functionality.

 

12. Third Party Links

 

Our website may contain links to external sites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third party websites and recommend reviewing their policies before providing personal information.

 

13. Data Security

 

We use appropriate technical and organisational security measures to protect personal information against loss, unauthorised access, disclosure or misuse. As a registered Security Services Provider, IRS maintains high forensic and data protection standards.

 

14. Data Breach Notification

 

If a personal data breach occurs that may affect your rights, we will notify the Information Regulator and affected individuals as required by law.

 

15. Changes to This Policy

 

This Privacy and Cookie Policy may be updated from time to time. The latest version will always be available on our website.

 

16. Contact Details

Information Officer: Glenda Paul
South Africa: 0861 911 477
International: +27 11 486 1037
Email us via our contact form