It was just another ordinary week. I had cash coming in from rent and some investments. Like most Malaysians trying to beat inflation, I transferred almost everything into Touch ‘n Go (TnG) eWallet to enjoy their GO+ interest savings.
I even felt proud. “I’m optimizing my idle cash,” I told myself.
A few days earlier, I successfully registered for a Business Wallet, transferred funds in and out, no issues. Life was good.
But on June 24, 2025, that illusion cracked.
❌ Everything Failed On My Credit Card Due Date
It was the day I was supposed to pay my UOB credit card bill.
I launched the TnG app to make a transfer. I’d done it dozens of times before. But this time, it failed.
Tried again. Failed.
I thought maybe it was a fluke. So I tried transferring to my Maybank account instead.
Also failed.
Every attempt hit a wall. No detailed error message. Just quiet rejection.
That’s when it hit me:
Every sen I owned was locked.
No access. No backup. No safety net.
🥵 Desperate for Help
I scrambled to contact support. First the chatbot, then a live agent named Dannis. I explained the situation:
I cannot transfer money with my TnG eWallet. I need to pay my credit card bills today. ALL my cash is in the eWallet!
Dannis asked if I had changed devices or received a fraud alert.
No. I was using the same phone. No suspicious emails.
He then asked for my IC and confirmed my email. He said I would receive an email soon that asked for many required verification documents.
I sent the documents immediately.
⌛ Then Came the Waiting Game
Nothing happened.
For two full days, I sat in anxious silence.
I followed up multiple times. This time I got another agent, Aiman. He told me:
We have escalated your case to our higher department. Please wait 7 working days.
7 working days.
Meanwhile, my credit card was overdue. Penalties were adding up. I had no cash elsewhere because I moved it all to TnG to earn extra interest.
I even asked:
Can TnG at least write a letter to UOB and Maybank to explain the delay?
No reply. No assistance. Just “please wait.”
I was locked out of my money, and I had no idea why.
🔍 I Realized I’m Not Alone
While I waited, I began researching.
Reddit:
- https://www.reddit.com/r/MalaysianPF/comments/1ard0yp/your_experience_with_tng_go/
- https://www.reddit.com/r/MalaysianPF/comments/1k3ha3a/share_your_experience_with_tng_ewallet_security/
Lowyat:
TnG’s Own Facebook Page:
National News:
It wasn’t just me. Many Malaysians had their eWallet accounts frozen, often with no notice, no cause, no explanation.
🚫 Resolution Without Explanation
Next Monday, I finally received an email from TnG’s Fraud Operations Team:
We have rectified the issue. You should be able to login.
That’s it.
No reason. No apology. No warning about what went wrong.
I tested by transferring RM1,000 to Maybank. It worked.
But the trust was broken. I immediately withdrew most of my balance, keeping under RM500 in the wallet.
🏦 Maybank vs TnG Support
During this crisis, I kept thinking:
If this was Maybank, I could walk into a branch and get help on the spot.
With TnG, I had:
- No office
- No hotline
- No manager to speak to
- Just scripts from chat agents
I felt completely powerless.
⚡ It’s Not Just TnG — Look At BigPay
Right around the same time:
- BigPay’s CEO, COO, and top executives resigned
- They were reportedly being acquired by a regional bank
- Users were locked out for hours during outages
These fintech apps look sleek, but they’re not banks. And you have zero control when something goes wrong.
🤔 Lessons I Learned the Hard Way
- Never put all your cash in one platform
- Digital wallets are not banks
- Emergency funds should stay in a bank
- Interest is meaningless if you lose access
- Fintech apps have no urgency when you’re in crisis
🔐 Why Bitcoin Makes Sense Now
This experience forced me to ask:
If I need permission to use my own money… do I really own it?
That’s when I turned to Bitcoin.
With Bitcoin:
- You hold your own keys
- No one can freeze your funds
- No 7-day investigations
- No support tickets to access your savings
- No CEO resignation will affect your wallet
Bitcoin is money without middlemen. It’s not in a company’s database. It’s on a global ledger that you control.
Yes, it requires self-responsibility. You need to learn self-custody, backup seed phrases, and secure your wallet.
But you’ll never have to beg anyone for access to your wealth again.
📊 What I’m Doing Now
- Keep < RM500 in eWallets
- Rebuild buffer in traditional bank accounts
- Learn hardware wallets for Bitcoin
- Teach others how to avoid what happened to me
💬 Final Thoughts
This blog isn’t to shame TnG. Outages happen. Mistakes happen.
But when all your cash is locked, and the only thing you hear is “please wait 7 working days”, it breaks you.
I learned the hard way that financial freedom isn’t about how much you have. It’s about how much control you have.
If you’ve ever experienced something like this, or want to explore Bitcoin as a backup plan for financial sovereignty in Malaysia — reach out.
I never want anyone else to feel what I felt that week.
Written by someone who learned the real meaning of “not your keys, not your money.”