Herald Reporter
Reports of WhatsApp-related cybercrime across several countries have raised security concerns worldwide, with users in Zimbabwe, Malaysia, the Cayman Islands, Brazil, Australia, Mexico, Singapore, Taiwan, Vietnam and India, among others, reporting account takeovers, SIM-swapping fraud, malware attacks and loss of access to their accounts.
In Zimbabwe, the Government yesterday said it was investigating reported WhatsApp Business account takeovers and possible security breaches involving Meta platforms, including whether users’ financial information had been compromised.
ICT, Postal and Courier Services Minister Tatenda Mavetera said her ministry was engaging Meta, the affected mobile network operator and the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Cyber Crime Division to establish the facts surrounding the incidents.
She said investigators were examining platform systems, SMS termination partners, advertising accounts and payment arrangements, with responsibility for the reported breaches to be determined through evidence.
Leading mobile network operator Econet Wireless and the ZRP have also warned users about WhatsApp account hijacking and scams in which criminals impersonate account holders to solicit money from their contacts.
Econet urged customers to strengthen their account security by activating two-step verification and passkeys, avoiding the disclosure of verification codes and regularly checking the devices linked to their WhatsApp accounts.
The ZRP has separately warned that criminals are using fraudulently obtained SIM cards to gain access to WhatsApp accounts before contacting victims’ friends, relatives and business associates to request money.
Although the incidents have raised concern, there are currently no verified national statistics establishing the total number of WhatsApp users affected in Zimbabwe.
Similar incidents have been reported in several other countries, prompting warnings from police, telecommunications operators, government regulators and cybersecurity experts about the growing threat posed by criminals exploiting widely used messaging platforms.
In Malaysia, the country’s Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) launched investigations in September following complaints from users whose WhatsApp accounts had been hacked, suspended or rendered inaccessible.
According to Malaysian national news agency Bernama, the regulator had received 92 complaints by September 30 and demanded a comprehensive explanation from WhatsApp’s parent company, Meta.
The Malaysian authorities also referred affected cases to Meta as part of efforts to establish the causes of the disruptions and address users’ concerns.
Meanwhile, police in the Cayman Islands issued a warning on October 1 about criminals hijacking WhatsApp accounts using stolen verification codes.
The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service said fraudsters were obtaining the six-digit codes used to register WhatsApp accounts, allowing them to take control of victims’ profiles.
Once inside an account, the criminals would impersonate its legitimate owner and send messages to contacts requesting urgent financial assistance.
Police said investigations were continuing and urged residents never to share their WhatsApp verification codes, even with people claiming to be friends, relatives or representatives of the messaging platform.
In a separate development, international cybersecurity company Kaspersky uncovered a malware campaign in June 2026 that affected users in 11 countries and territories, highlighting how criminals are increasingly exploiting WhatsApp to distribute malicious software.
Research published by Kaspersky’s Global Research and Analysis Team on June 22 identified affected users in Brazil, India, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Spain, Taiwan, Australia, Russia, Vietnam and Malaysia.
Malaysia recorded the highest number of observed victims in the campaign, according to the research.
Unlike scams that rely on stealing WhatsApp verification codes, the international campaign involved malicious attachments distributed through WhatsApp Desktop and WhatsApp Web.
The attackers used VBScript files disguised as legitimate documents to trick recipients into executing malicious software on their Windows computers.
The software could then deploy remote monitoring and management tools, potentially allowing criminals to gain unauthorised access to affected computers.
The findings were also reported by international cybersecurity news platform BleepingComputer, while Malaysia’s Computer Emergency Response Team issued an official advisory warning users about thethe malicious campaign.
Cybersecurity experts say the incidents illustrate the different methods criminals are using to exploit WhatsApp’s widespread use for personal communication, business transactions and financial exchanges.
These methods include SIM-swapping, social engineering, theft of verification codes, impersonation and the distribution of malware.
However, the reported incidents do not necessarily form part of a single, coordinated international cyberattack.
The cases reported in Zimbabwe and the Cayman Islands largely involve account hijacking and impersonation, while Malaysia’s September investigation concerned accounts that had been compromised, suspended or rendered inaccessible.
The June international campaign, on the other hand, primarily targeted computers through malicious files distributed using WhatsApp.
Despite these differences, the incidents point to a common vulnerability: criminals are exploiting users’ trust in a messaging platform that has become central to everyday communication and business activities.
For Zimbabwe, where WhatsApp is widely used by individuals, businesses and organisations, the warnings underscore the importance of stronger digital security awareness.
Users are being encouraged to activate two-step verification and passkeys, never disclose verification codes, avoid opening suspicious attachments and independently verify requests for money, even when the messages appear to come from people they know.
The reports from several countries also highlight the need for continued public awareness campaigns, cooperation between telecommunications operators and law enforcement agencies, and stronger measures to protect users against increasingly sophisticated cybercrime.
While there is no confirmed evidence of a single worldwide WhatsApp account-takeover operation, the incidents demonstrate that WhatsApp-related cybercrime has become an international security concern requiring greater vigilance from users, technology companies and authorities.
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