The Government says it is investigating a wave of WhatsApp Business account takeovers reported in recent weeks amid concerns that criminals could be targeting advertising services and payment arrangements linked to compromised accounts.
Minister of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Tatenda Mavetera said the investigations involved the relevant mobile network operator, the Zimbabwe Republic Police’s cybercrime division and Meta, the company that owns WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram.
“The scale of the reported attack is unprecedented and requires a coordinated response to protect our citizens and businesses,” Mavetera said.
She said investigators were examining several possible causes, including the potential involvement of SMS termination partners commonly known as aggregators as well as systems operated by the affected platforms.
However, Mavetera said investigations were still under way and that evidence was needed to establish responsibility.
“The matter is being thoroughly investigated through the relevant authorities,” she said, adding that the government was engaging Meta to help establish what had happened and support account protection and recovery.
The minister said authorities were particularly concerned that criminals could exploit compromised accounts connected to Meta’s advertising services and associated payment arrangements.
Investigators are working to determine whether financial information has been exposed or unauthorised transactions have taken place.
Mavetera urged businesses and individuals to review account access, linked devices, advertising activity and payment transactions for suspicious activity.
She warned users against sharing passwords, personal identification numbers (PINs) or WhatsApp verification codes and urged them to independently verify requests for money before making payments.
“Anyone who suspects their account has been compromised should contact their bank immediately to flag suspicious transactions and seek to prevent unauthorised payments. Affected users should also follow the platforms’ official account recovery procedures and report suspected criminal activity to the police and their mobile network operator,”
Mavetera said the mobile network operator involved had assured the government that it was putting mechanisms in place to respond to affected customers around the clock.
“The immediate priority is to contain further harm, support affected users and establish the facts,” she said.
The government said it would communicate verified information as it becomes available while awaiting findings from the investigations and a comprehensive statement from the affected mobile network operator.