Maybank has upgraded Malware Shielding, the security check built into its MAE app. According to Maybank’s announcement, the new version is rolling out in stages from 26 September 2026. The upgrade lets it spot more kinds of risk on your phone.

If it finds a risk, MAE will tell you what’s wrong and how to fix it. For more serious risks, it may stop you from using the app until the problem is gone.

Malware Shielding Checks Your Phone Every Time You Open MAE

Malware is harmful software that scammers trick people into installing. They often send a link to an app file instead of pointing people to an official app store. Once malware is on a phone, it can read the TAC or OTP codes your bank sends you, or let a scammer control the phone from far away and approve transfers.

Malware Shielding looks for these dangers each time you launch MAE. In 2024, the Association of Banks in Malaysia (ABM) said this kind of check only runs when you open a banking app. It doesn’t keep running in the background all day. Maybank says the feature doesn’t collect or store the personal content on your phone, such as your photos, messages, or contacts.

The Phone Settings And Apps MAE Now Looks Out For

Some of the risks on Maybank’s list are clearly dangerous, such as scam apps. Others are everyday tools. Maybank says a VPN or a keyboard app from an unknown developer may expose your password, your TAC, or other banking details to people you don’t know.

What MAE Looks For	What It Means	Why Maybank Flags It
Risky or harmful apps	Apps that can read your messages or control your phone, often installed from a link rather than Google Play, the App Store, or Huawei AppGallery	They can catch your TAC or OTP codes and approve transfers without you
Developer Mode	A special settings menu meant for people who build apps	It weakens your phone’s built-in protection and lets unchecked apps in
Rooted or jailbroken phone	A phone that’s had the maker’s built-in locks removed. On Android this is called “rooting”, and on iPhone it’s called “jailbreaking”	It removes the protection that keeps harmful apps out
Emulator or cloned app	An emulator is a program, usually on a computer, that pretends to be a phone. A cloned app is a second copy of an app on the same phone, often made with a “dual apps” feature	Both can weaken security and make it easier for someone else to get in
Screen sharing, recording, or mirroring	Showing your screen on a video call, recording it, or showing it on a TV or another device	Someone else could see your banking details or get into your session
Apps that appear over your screen	Apps that can put bubbles or windows on top of other apps	Scammers can use them to show fake information on top of MAE
VPN	An app that sends your internet connection through another company’s server, often to change your location	It may expose your banking details to people you don’t know
Keyboard apps you can’t trust	A keyboard app from an unknown developer, used instead of the one that came with your phone	It could record what you type, including your password and TAC
A changed version of MAE	A copy of MAE that someone has tampered with, usually downloaded from outside an official app store	Security protections may stop working, so scammers find it easier to get in

Several of these have normal uses. People use VPNs for work or to watch shows from other countries, and some use screen recording to show a family member how to pay a bill. Maybank’s list doesn’t make exceptions for these, so switch them off before you open MAE.

A Warning Or A Lockout Depends On The Risk

Malware Shielding may warn you, show you steps to fix the problem, or block MAE until it’s fixed. Maybank’s FAQ says this depends on how serious the risk is.

Maybank doesn’t say which risks only bring up a warning and which lock the app. Because the check runs every time you open MAE, a setting you switch on later, such as screen recording, can still trigger it the next time you log in.

Other banks run similar checks. Members of ABM and the Association of Islamic Banking and Financial Institutions Malaysia (AIBIM) began adding malware shielding to their apps in August 2024. Banks that had switched it on by then included CIMB, Public Bank, RHB, and UOB, so you may see similar warnings in their apps too.

In June 2026, ABM reported that malware shielding helped stop more than 60,000 malware-related scam attempts in 2025, involving about RM22 million in potential losses.

A Malware Shielding Alert Can Affect Whether You Get Your Money Back

Bank Negara Malaysia’s (BNM) SEFT policy sets out when banks compensate victims of unauthorised transactions, including money taken through malware. However, BNM’s 2025 Annual Report says some victims may be held fully responsible and get no compensation at all. One example it gives is a victim who downloads a harmful app even after the bank has warned them about the risk.

So if you tap past a Malware Shielding alert and carry on, it could be harder to get compensation if a scammer later takes money from your account. 

Update MAE And Tap Agree To Keep Using It

To get added Malware Shielding protection, update MAE to the latest version from Google Play, the App Store, or Huawei AppGallery. After the update, MAE will ask you to read and agree to the Malware Shielding terms and conditions. This step is compulsory, so you can’t keep using the app until you tap “Agree”.

If MAE blocks you, follow the steps on your screen. You may be asked to delete a suspicious app, turn off a setting such as Developer Mode, stop screen sharing or recording, switch to a supported phone, or reinstall MAE from an official app store. Once that’s done, close MAE and open it again.

If you’re still locked out, call Maybank Group Customer Care on 1-300-88-6688, or +603-7844 3696 from overseas. If you think money has already left your account, turn on your bank’s kill switch and call the National Scam Response Centre on 997. The line is open 24 hours, and your call counts as a police report.

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