Harare – The Zimbabwean government is investigating Meta over a wave of reported WhatsApp Business account takeovers, with authorities probing possible security breaches and the potential exposure of users’ financial information.

Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Minister Tatenda Mavetera said investigations were underway to establish how the accounts were compromised and whether vulnerabilities involving Meta’s platforms and related services had been exploited.

The investigation brings together the ministry, the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ), the Zimbabwe Republic Police Cyber Crime Division, the affected mobile network operator and Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram.

Authorities are also examining the possible involvement of SMS service providers, known as aggregators, as well as systems linked to Meta’s advertising services and associated payment arrangements.

Mavetera said the investigations were focused on establishing what happened and determining responsibility based on the available evidence.

The reported account takeovers have raised concerns about the security of WhatsApp Business, which companies and entrepreneurs use to communicate with customers and conduct commercial activities.

The minister urged users to keep their passwords and verification codes private, check linked devices for suspicious activity and monitor their accounts for unusual transactions.

Businesses that suspect their accounts have been compromised were encouraged to follow official account recovery procedures, contact their banks if financial transactions were affected and report suspected criminal activity to the police and their mobile network operators.

The affected mobile network operator is coordinating with relevant parties to assist users, while engagements with Meta continue.

Mavetera said further information would be shared as investigations progress.

The investigation follows reports of businesses and individuals losing access to their WhatsApp accounts due to hacking.