Zimbabwe government investigates WhatsApp Business account takeovers
- Government authorities in Zimbabwe are investigating reports of hackers taking over WhatsApp business accounts and possible security breaches involving Meta platforms.
- The Zimbabwe Republic Police Cyber Crime Division is participating in the inquiry alongside the Ministry of Information, Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services.
- The scale of the reported attack is unprecedented and requires a coordinated response to protect our citizens and business.
Government authorities in Zimbabwe are investigating reports of hackers taking over WhatsApp business accounts and possible security breaches involving Meta platforms. Information, Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Minister Tatenda Mavetera announced the probe on national television, stating that the wave of compromises left numerous local businesses and individuals locked out of their messaging profiles over the past few days.
Investigation into WhatsApp Business Takeovers and SMS Aggregators
The Zimbabwe Republic Police Cyber Crime Division is participating in the inquiry alongside the Ministry of Information, Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services. Investigators are scrutinizing the role of short message service (SMS) termination partners, frequently referred to as aggregators, alongside the operational systems of the digital platforms. Minister Mavetera characterized the scale of the incidents as unprecedented, noting that authorities are actively engaging the affected mobile network operator to determine how the security lapses occurred.
NEWS | Who is hijacking Zimbabwe’s WhatsApp accounts? Nightmare as serving MP and entrepreneurs lose accessHARARE – A serving Zimbabwean MP has lost control of his WhatsApp account as entrepreneurs and other users report being locked out of their accounts, raising fresh… pic.twitter.com/B3GoirHMGA
The scale of the reported attack is unprecedented and requires a coordinated response to protect our citizens and business.
Tatenda Mavetera
Officials are also investigating whether accounts tied to Meta advertising services and associated payment mechanisms experienced unauthorized transactions or financial data exposure. While the investigation remains ongoing, Minister Mavetera emphasized that definitive responsibility will be established through concrete evidence rather than preliminary assumptions.
This remains a line of inquiry and evidence must establish responsibility.
Tatenda Mavetera
Security Guidance Issued for Affected Businesses and Users
Amid the ongoing inquiry, the government urged businesses and individual users to inspect their account access settings, linked devices, advertising configurations, and recent payment transactions for unauthorized activity. Authorities advised users to refrain from disclosing passwords, personal identification numbers (PINs), and verification codes to external parties, while stressing the importance of independently verifying any financial requests before transferring funds.
Individuals who suspect their accounts or connected financial instruments have been compromised are instructed to notify their banks immediately, execute official platform recovery steps, and report criminal activity to local police and mobile network operators. According to the ministry, the affected mobile network operator is establishing a round-the-clock customer assistance mechanism to handle inquiries related to the account takeovers.
Outstanding Inquiries and Expected Official Updates
Neither the government nor the participating mobile network operators have yet confirmed the exact technical vector utilized by the hackers to bypass authentication on the affected accounts. Authorities anticipate releasing a comprehensive statement from the primary mobile network operator soon, alongside formal engagement outcomes with Meta regarding platform-level security.