Econet Wireless Zimbabwe urges WhatsApp users to secure accounts

Econet Wireless Zimbabwe has issued an urgent advisory to its customers to secure their WhatsApp accounts following an increase in hacking attempts and social engineering scams targeting mobile users.

The telecommunications company is recommending that users proactively enable WhatsApp Passkeys and two-step verification, which includes setting a six-digit PIN and a recovery email address. Econet stated that these measures provide an added layer of security, allowing customers to recover their accounts if a hijacking attempt occurs.

Additional safety guidelines provided by Econet include: • Never sharing verification codes or security PINs. • Regularly reviewing and removing unfamiliar linked devices. • Keeping the WhatsApp application updated with the latest security patches. • Avoiding the scanning of unknown QR codes or pairing codes on third-party websites. • Being cautious of suspicious links and messages that create a false sense of urgency. • Disabling unauthorized call forwarding and avoiding unverified codes starting with * or **.