Government probes "unprecedented" wave of WhatsApp account takeovers

Updates

1. 08:10 GMT, Thursday 29 OctoberLatest

   Government sets 30-day deadline for a WhatsApp hijack response plan. ICT Minister Tatenda Mavetera has given POTRAZ, mobile network operators, law enforcement agencies and platform providers 30 days to agree a coordinated protocol for handling reported account compromises, including WhatsApp takeovers, The Herald and New Ziana reported. She was speaking at the National Cybersecurity Conference and Expo 2026 in Harare on Wednesday 28 October. According to both outlets, the protocol is meant to set out clear reporting channels, urgent referrals, evidence preservation and account recovery support for victims, as well as safeguards against SIM-replacement fraud and the referral of suspected financial crimes. "Citizens deserve timely assistance. Performance should be measured through response and resolution times, together with corrective action on recurring weaknesses," the minister said, as quoted by The Herald. "For an entrepreneur, a WhatsApp Business account may be a shopfront and the principal link to customers," she said. "A compromised personal account can expose families and friends to impersonation and fraudulent requests for money." Mavetera also said the National Cyber Security Strategy is in the final stages of approval through Cabinet committee processes (Herald, New Ziana). The Herald further reports that she asked for a child online protection implementation schedule, a safety toolkit for learners, parents and teachers, and guidelines for reporting suspected online abuse within 90 days, and for a national cyber incident simulation covering telecoms, financial services, energy, water, health and key government systems within six months. The minister did not give an exact end date; counted from 28 October, 30 days runs to about 27 November. The speech did not say what caused this month's takeovers, did not name the operator the government engaged earlier, and Meta has still not commented publicly. Desk tip (not official advice): turn on two-step verification in WhatsApp (Settings > Account > Two-step verification), never share the six-digit code WhatsApp texts you, and phone a relative on a known number before sending money asked for over chat. Read source

2. 12:25 BST, Thursday 15 October

   Econet Wireless has published an update saying it is "actively addressing the recent incidents involving blocked or compromised WhatsApp accounts". The company said that, "working in consultation with Meta", it is helping affected customers restore access to their accounts and is monitoring the situation. Customers who need help can contact Econet through its service centres, Econet Shops and digital and social media channels. Econet repeated its advice to turn on passkeys and two-step verification, never to share PINs, passwords or one-time codes, and to check any request for money independently, "even when they appear to come from someone they know". The update does not say how the accounts were taken over. It is not the full statement on findings that the minister said the operator concerned would publish, and the government has still not named that operator. Meta has not commented publicly.

3. 08:20 BST, Thursday 15 October

   There were no new official findings overnight. The full statement the minister said the mobile network operator concerned would publish has still not appeared, and Meta has not commented publicly. CAJ News Africa reports that people were still reporting being locked out of their accounts on Wednesday morning, and quotes Minister Mavetera: "As government, our immediate priority is to contain further harm. We need to support affected users and establish the facts." One outlet has reported which operator is involved, but the government has not named it, and how the accounts were taken over has still not been established.

4. 13:05 BST, Wednesday 14 October

   Econet Wireless has urged customers to turn on WhatsApp Passkeys and two-step verification, check their call-forwarding settings and remove unfamiliar linked devices. MP Charlton Hwende said he lost access to an Econet-linked WhatsApp account; that does not establish who was responsible for the takeovers. We have not yet seen the operator statement the minister promised, or any comment from Meta. Read source