Maybank glitch leaves Malaysian customer with unexpected millions and frustration

MALAYSIA: A client of Maybank in Malaysia, Ms Hafidzah Abdullah, woke up to an astonishing discovery when she found more than RM400 million (S$114 million) unexpectedly deposited into her account.

While many might dream of such windfalls, Ms Hafidzah quickly realized it was not a stroke of luck but rather a banking glitch that took her on a tumultuous journey to restore normalcy.

Over RM400 million (S$114 million) deposited into bank account

Ms Hafidzah, who serves as the director and co-founder of Malaysia HR Forum, took to her LinkedIn account on 29 November to share her bewildering experience.

Expressing a mix of surprise and frustration, she stated, “I appreciate (Maybank) making my banking experience memorable, but I think this glitch took it a little too far.”

The glitch not only added millions to her account but also led to the subsequent blocking of her account by Maybank, without any prior notification.

In her recount of the incident, Ms Hafidzah highlighted the inconvenience caused by having to physically visit the nearest Maybank branch to resolve the issue.

“They say money can’t buy happiness, but Maybank knows how to buy frustration,” she quipped, describing the three days of financial chaos during the salary payout period.

She lamented the comedy of errors that unfolded, with her personal account blocked, the company account rendered unusable, and daily visits to Maybank becoming an unexpected exercise routine.

Moreover, the ordeal extended beyond the initial glitch, as Ms Hafidzah navigated a maze of customer service challenges, including being directed to different branches and enduring prolonged wait times when attempting to contact Maybank’s customer service.

To add, on 1 December, in response to inquiries, Maybank, a prominent financial institution in Malaysia, informed The Straits Times that the issue had been resolved and there had been no compromise of customer data.

Maybank customers share experiences, VP’s intervention resolves issues

In the comment section of her LinkedIn post, a few users recounted similar experiences with the bank.

Shaikh Munir Ahmad, the executive vice-president of Maybank and head of group customer experience management, responded to Ms Hafidzah’s post.

He requested her contact number, expressing a commitment for his team to follow up on the situation.

Additionally, he guided her to reach out to the bank’s customer care team for further assistance.

“Will certainly have this checked and resolved for you,” he said.

In response, Ms Hafidzah shared in the comment sections that her problem has been resolved.

“Yes! Resolved. Now can access my personal account & company account,” she said.

Meanwhile, one user shared a similar unfortunate encounter, revealing that her dispute case has been unresolved for the past two months.

Later on, she mentioned in a subsequent comment that the vice president had also contacted her to address and resolve her issue.

“VC Manage to called my personal number and they earned my respect!,” she said.

Another user jested that Ms Hafidzah had joined the ranks of Malaysia’s 100 wealthiest, even if this status only lasted for a short period.