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Yes, Bank of Zambia’s Facebook account was breached

True

A statement issued by the Bank of Zambia confirmed that the Bank’s official Facebook Account page was breached. The BoZ Assistant Director of Communications, Mr Besnat Mwanza, said a cyber security incident that affected the Bank’s Facebook page, and that the bank was working closely with relevant law enforcement to ensure that it was restored to full functionality. The public was further urged not to interact with the affected page until further communication but to use other channels such as Twitter and LinkedIn for communication with the bank.

Verified Jul, 25 2023

Claim

On July 24, 2023, a picture was widely circulated on Facebook, WhatsApp and other social media platforms asserting that the Bank of Zambia’s (BOZ) Facebook page had been hacked. The original content on the profile picture and cover picicture of the official BoZ page was replaced with new images. The cover page displayed a picture of a man and a woman, while the profile picture showed an image of a woman.

Rating Justification

The iVerify Zambia verification process has established as true claim that the Bank of Zambia (BOZ) Facebook account had been breached. iVerify Zambia examined the bank’s official account and confirmed the claimed changes on the cover page and profile.

Furthermore, iVerify Zambia accessed an official statement by the Bank on its Twitter account, which acknowledged a cyber security incident that affected its Facebook page. In the statement, the Bank’s Assistant Director of Communications, Mr. Besnat Mwanza, confirmed the breach and assured the public that a comprehensive review of the breach was already underway. Mr. Mwanza also stated that the Bank was actively cooperating with relevant law enforcement agencies to address the issue promptly and restore the platform to its full functionality.

The Bank also issued a public notice, cautioning the public against engaging with the compromised page until further updates were provided. The notice stated that during this period, the public is encouraged to refrain from using the affected Facebook page but instead utilize alternative platforms such as Twitter and LinkedIn to stay updated on the Bank’s communications. The Bank said the precautionary measure was taken to ensure the safety and security of the public while conducting investigations and implementing remediation measures.

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