[Update: Lloyds Bank & others too] Halifax Bank app 'Security threat' pop-up issue on Android gets acknowledged

New updates are being added at the bottom of this story…….

Original story (published on January 22, 2022) follows:

Halifax is a British banking brand that operates under the Bank of Scotland. Based out of Halifax located in West Yorkshire, it was founded 169 years ago in 1853.

However, according to Statistica, the bank has lost customers between 2018 and 2020 with many opting for other banks, with the ratio worsening to three customers leaving for every one that joined in the fourth quarter of 2020.

That being said, the bank has an app that is available on both iOS and Android.

But according to recent reports (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10) , those running the Halifax Bank app on Android devices are reporting an issue where they are getting a pop-up saying the app has been infected.

Users say that their security software is advising that they uninstall the app from their phone while others report that their phone is automatically deleting the app.

My wife is currently having the same issue. We ignored the message and then uninstalled the app separately. Ran a scan and no issues found. However, we can’t even locate the app in the app store anymore. It’s disappeared from the play store. Huawei P30 is the model.
(Source)

@HalifaxBank I’ve received a system message on my phone that the banking app is ‘infected’ and when I opened the app it asked for my details to be updated… Any ideas what this is about?
(Source)

People are confused and are wondering if their device has been hacked and if their account security has been compromised.

Many of those affected say their own a Huawei device, but it is still unclear if the issue is limited to these smartphones since others are also reporting getting security threat pop-ups.

Thankfully, Halifax Bank has commented on the matter and said that their Digital team is currently investigating the issue. In the meantime, users can choose to ignore the warning and continue using the app.

Our Digital team are currently investigating. If you can confirm the make/model of your device, the app version, the version of Android you’re using & whether you’ve had an update today, we’ll provide an update ASAP. In the meantime, you’ll be able to sign in through the website.
(Source)

However, there is no ETA on when the issue will be fixed, so Halifax Bank users might have to wait a while before being able to use the app, which is really frustrating.

Rest assured, we will be updating this space as and when required. So make sure you stay tuned for more information.

05:44 pm (IST): It seems that this issue is more widespread as some Lloyds bank users are also complaining of the same ‘Security threat’ pop-up issue. Moreover, some other bank users are facing a similar issue as well.

Fortunately, Lloyds Bank has acknowledged this issue and said that users can ignore the message and access the app in a normal way.

Note: We have more such stories in our dedicated Apps Section so be sure to follow them as well.

Featured image source: Halifax

PiunikaWeb started as purely an investigative tech journalism website with main focus on ‘breaking’ or ‘exclusive’ news. In no time, our stories got picked up by the likes of Forbes, Foxnews, Gizmodo, TechCrunch, Engadget, The Verge, Macrumors, and many others. Want to know more about us? Head here.