We would like to draw your kind attention to an illegal syndicate that is advertising personal loans and/or other banking/financing products purportedly from the Bank to the general public via social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and others, as well as SMS, Telegram, and WhatsApp.

Posing as bank employees or agents, they will contact the potential victim via SMS, email, phone call, or direct messaging on social media after the victim clicks on their link or calls the number given.

Their modus operandi is as such:

• The syndicate will impersonate as a bank staff and will share their ‘Business Card’ using the designation of sales personnel, financial advisor etc. They may even go so far as to send a photograph of our own bank's staff present in the bank's premises or an individual wearing the bank's lanyard to convince the victim of their authenticity.
• They will then request via email or WhatsApp for the victim to provide them with the documents required to process the financing. Upon receiving the documents, they will then alert the victim that their documents have been submitted for processing. This action also acts as an opportunity to deceive victims into disclosing sensitive banking details and confidential information.
• Subsequently, a notification will be sent to inform the victim that the loans/financing application has been approved.
• The syndicate will then proceed to request for payment for certain fees e.g., advance deposit, insurance, tax, etc. to be made into an individual/company account. They will continue to ask for payment until the victims realise that they have been cheated.
• There have also been instances where the syndicate deposits bad cheques into the victim’s account and they appear as a ‘floating’ amount in the account, to give the false impression that the loan has been disbursed and encourage the victim to pay the fees. In actual fact, these cheques are not good for clearance and will be rejected.
• Based on recent reports, the syndicate has even requested to meet customers at Branch premises, such as the SST area or outside the Branch premises. This is done to convince the victim that they are certified bank employees. 

Customers are advised to remain vigilant towards such scams and exercise due caution when inquiring for financial services especially online.

How to protect yourself

• DO NOT click on any links from unsolicited social media posts and emails.
• Remember that financial institutions and banks DO NOT appoint or engage third parties or agents for the process of securing loans.
• BE ALERT and always verify the details of the messages sent from Maybank. Always check that the messages reflect your intended action and do not proceed or authorise any suspicious transactions.
• REPORT any request to transfer any funds allegedly for fee payment to secure financing into unknown individual/company accounts.
• Individuals and businesses are strongly advised to not pursue loan applications through third party agents or divulge sensitive and confidential information to individuals or companies claiming to be third-party appointees or agents from a financial institution.
• IMMEDIATELY CALL our contact centre at 1300-88-66-88 or visit our nearest branch in the event of doubt.