Zimbabweans are being urged to exercise extreme caution when answering calls or sending WhatsApp voice notes, as cybercriminals are increasingly exploiting voice biometrics to commit fraud and extortion.
The warning comes from Andrew Bourne, Regional Manager for Zoho Corporation Africa, quoted by Business Tech in South Africa. He revealed that many people underestimate just how valuable their voices have become to criminal networks.
“One of the simplest ways criminals can capture a person’s voice is through silent calls,” Bourne explained. “When you answer and say ‘hello, hello, hello’ with no response on the other side, it may not be a dropped call. Criminal organisations could be collecting voice samples to update their databases.”
He noted that many Zimbabweans have already had personal data — such as ID numbers and phone details — leaked in the past. Capturing a voice sample allows criminals to confirm active numbers and strengthen their data profiles.
While a single “hello” may not be enough to create a fake voice, Bourne warned that repeated recordings from WhatsApp voice notes, social media videos, or regular calls can provide enough material to build deepfake audio.
“If you were a target, they could stitch together recordings of your voice to create a convincing deepfake,” he said.
Criminals then use this stolen data in scams ranging from fraud to extortion. Bourne highlighted cases where deepfake voices have been used to imitate loved ones in distress, tricking families into paying ransoms.
“You might receive a call where you hear your child asking for help. In reality, that audio could have been lifted from a TikTok video or a WhatsApp voice note,” he warned.
In one high-profile case in Hong Kong, scammers even used a deepfake video of a CEO to defraud a company of $25 million.
Although WhatsApp provides end-to-end encryption, Bourne stressed that once a voice note is sent, it can still be copied or re-recorded. “Encryption keeps it safe in transit, but it doesn’t stop someone from sharing your voice with a third party,” he said.
To protect themselves, Bourne urged Zimbabweans to:
Avoid answering unknown numbers with repeated greetings.
Be sceptical of callers who already have fragments of personal data.
Create a family “safe word” to verify genuine distress calls.
Limit unnecessary sharing of voice notes online.
“It may feel rude not to answer, or paranoid to question someone claiming to be your bank,” Bourne said. “But those small steps can save you. Awareness and digital literacy are our best weapons against increasingly advanced scams.”
With Zimbabwe’s rising cases of drug abuse, unemployment and social pressures already straining families, experts warn that cybercrime adds another dangerous layer to everyday life. Authorities and advocacy groups are now calling for stronger public education on digital safety to shield citizens from what has become one of the fastest-growing global fraud trends.
