By Dennis Ndlovu| Zim GBC News
A Bulawayo woman has raised alarm after money sent to her EcoCash wallet allegedly disappeared overnight, adding to growing public concern over mobile money security amid a spike in reported fraud cases.
In an emotional audio sent to Zim GBC News, the woman said she received money through EcoCash late at night, only to discover the following morning that the funds were no longer in her account.
“Someone sent me money last night, and when I woke up, the money was not in my account, it had been sent to someone else,” she said.
She told the reporter that she immediately visited an Econet branch in Bulawayo, where staff checked her account and confirmed that the money had moved to another EcoCash wallet. However, she was informed that the transaction could not be reversed.
“They could see the money in the other person’s account, but the reversal could not be done,” she said.
According to the woman, attempts to contact the recipient of the funds were unsuccessful, prompting Econet staff to advise her to report the matter at the company’s central office. Upon arrival, she claims she found several other customers facing similar problems.
“When I arrived at the central office, there were five or more people reporting the same issue their money had been stolen,” she said.
She further alleged that police officers told complainants that the cases were widespread.
“The police mentioned that around 1,000 cases have been reported related to this, where people are having money stolen from their EcoCash accounts,” the woman claimed.
The woman also criticised what she described as poor customer support.
“They keep sending you from one office to another to the central office, then to headquarters and you end up being passed around without help,” she said, alleging that some victims had lost thousands of dollars.
Meanwhile, EcoCash has issued a public warning to customers, distancing itself from claims of a system breach and attributing most losses to scams and social engineering tactics. In a statement, the company said it is aware.
“scammers targeting unsuspecting customers through fake promotions, cheap deals, quick loans and too-good-to-be-true online offers that require payment using EcoCash.”
“In most cases, these scammers trick customers into sharing their EcoCash PIN or One-Time Password (OTP),” the company said.
“Once this information is disclosed, fraudsters gain unauthorised access to the customer’s EcoCash wallet and steal their funds.”
EcoCash stressed that it never asks customers to share their PIN or OTP and warned users against clicking links from unverified promotions or loan schemes circulating on social media, SMS, or other digital platforms.
“Be cautious of websites or messages using fake EcoCash logos or claiming to be ‘powered by EcoCash’,” the statement read.
The mobile money service also dismissed claims that it asks users to move funds for security reasons.
“EcoCash will never ask you to transfer funds to another account or wallet for ‘safe keeping. These scams are malicious and designed to defraud customers,” the company said.
EcoCash urged customers to remain vigilant and to seek assistance through official channels.
“Staying alert is the best way to protect your money. When in doubt, please contact EcoCash through official customer support channels (Facebook, X, 114) or visit your nearest EcoCash service centre for assistance.”
As reports of alleged losses continue to circulate, consumers are calling for clearer communication, faster dispute resolution, and stronger safeguards to restore confidence in Zimbabwe’s dominant mobile money platform.
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