“Getting Out of Hand”: SA Expert Warns of Rising WhatsApp Hijacking Scam and Shares Tips, SA Reacts
- Michael Buswell, a South African cybersecurity educator, posted a warning video about a WhatsApp account hijacking scam targeting South Africans
- Scammers are using phishing links, QR codes, and social engineering to take over accounts and con victims' contacts out of money
- Buswell shared four steps South Africans can take right now to protect their WhatsApp accounts from being hijacked
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Source: Instagram
A South African cybersecurity educator is urging WhatsApp users to act fast after a wave of account hijackings swept the country. Michael Buswell, who goes by @that_cybersecurityguy online and teaches followers how to stay safe in digital spaces, posted the warning on 25 August 2026.
In the clip, Buswell explains how criminals are using social engineering to gain access to WhatsApp accounts. Victims are tricked into clicking suspicious links, scanning fraudulent QR codes, or handing over their WhatsApp verification codes. Once inside, scammers impersonate the account owner and ask their contacts for money.
How the WhatsApp hijacking scam works
The scam is deceptively simple. A victim receives a message that appears legitimate but is designed to extract their six-digit WhatsApp verification code. The moment that code is shared, the scammer gains full control of the account and can pose as the owner to defraud friends and family.
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Buswell outlined four steps to guard against the attack. First, activate WhatsApp's two-step verification. Second, regularly review linked devices and remove any that look unfamiliar. Third, never share your verification code with anyone, for any reason. Fourth, if someone messages you asking for money, call them directly to confirm it is really them before responding.
View the Instagram video below:
South Africans react to the warning
The video struck a nerve, with many commenting on his page that the scam had already hit close to home:
@veetoko wrote:
"This happened to me yesterday 😭😭😭"
@that_cybersecurityguy said:
"Bro, these WhatsApp takeovers are getting out of hand."
@lucy_caswell_70 reacted:
"It never ends... 😡"
@sonofabassett asked:
"How do you check the connected devices?"
@the_resurrected_1 added:
"What if the breach has already happened? What does one do? Delete WhatsApp, change verification code? Delete account?"
Buswell confirmed a follow-up video covering how to secure a WhatsApp account step by step is on the way.
More Briefly News stories on scams
- A digital platform promising easy daily income collapsed in Lesotho, leaving hundreds and potentially thousands of people facing major financial losses.
- South African cybersecurity expert CyberSafetyGuy shared how a sophisticated bank scam cost him R438,000 and warned that legitimate banks will never ask customers to transfer money for “safekeeping.”
- A South African woman revealed on the Safe Space Chats Podcast how she was recruited to Cambodia under false pretences and became involved in a scam operation.
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Source: Briefly News
