First things first, Is it real? Yes, the email from BDO Zimbabwe about your Starlink account is legitimate. It’s part of Starlink’s tax compliance process in Zimbabwe.
Yes, the communication has been poorly executed by both Starlink and BDO (suspicious looking email address, using IP addresses instead of actual words etc…) but it’s legitimate. It’s so bad some email systems where picking it up this as Spam. In fact, because of this, it’s possible some Starlink Subscribers didn’t see it at all.
So why are you getting this?
Starlink needs to comply with Zimbabwe’s tax regulations (ZIMRA requirements). Since they don’t have a physical office in Zimbabwe, they’ve partnered with BDO Zimbabwe, a local accounting firm, to handle this process.
What you need to do:
- Open the email from BDO
- Click the link provided (yes, it’s safe even though it’s just an IP address)
- You’ll see a form pre-filled with your: Starlink Customer ID, Name, Email, Location coordinates
- Review the pre-filled information to ensure it’s correct
- If you have a Tax Identification Number (TIN) or VAT number, enter it
- If you don’t have either, you can leave these fields blank
- Click “Update” when done
Common concerns addressed:
- This won’t affect your Starlink subscription costs
- Your service will continue as normal
- You won’t need to provide any payment information
- This is just a one-time update for tax compliance
Still worried?
If you’re still worried about this email and don’t want to respond or click anything inside it, BDO and Starlink have certainly earned your hesitation. You can still go ahead and contact them to register your displeasure (BDO phone number is: (024) 2703876)
You can also contact Starlink via their support channels.
Please note however that this will need to be done. Better do it than risk disruption of your service at some point.
Do you have other questions about Starlink?
Techzim has created a Starlink WhatsApp group where Zimbabweans can help each other with Starlink information. Here’s the link: https://chat.whatsapp.com/KL828sVKAOjFCZLkPUsL77
At first glance, the BDO email is indeed extremely suspicious. I initially thought it was some sort of a scam. Mainly because their wording and presentation is very poor. And also because they said, “we kindly request your assistance in providing the necessary business details”. That they were asking for “business details” was highly suspicious to me. Because my Starlink installation is a domestic installation, not a business one. One had a right to be suspicious. Because completely out of the blue, here is a little known entity, addressing you by your full name, and requesting that you blindly follow their lead? Starlink too is to blame here. Since from the very start we have been dealing with them directly. It is them who should have informed us that they had hired this BDO accounting firm, to assist them with their books. There are a lot of cyber thieves and scammers out there. Some of them have even tried their silly tricks right here in the TechZim🇿🇼comments section. So no one can be blamed for being highly suspicious of this BDO. Thank you TechZim🇿🇼 for vetting them and establishing that they are legit. For I had resolved not to cooperate with, or entertain them at all. I was really under the impression that they were cyber criminals, who had hacked into, and stolen my details from Starlink. And were now using them to try and rob me. Since they are accountants, then I will just have to excuse them. Factual writing is obviously not their strong suit. Perhaps an indication that they should stop being miserly, and hire people with good communication skills, to work in and run a public relations department!