Scam targets Thai overseas workers’ financial data amid Israel-Palestine conflict

The Thai Department of Employment raised the alarm on a new scam targeting the financial data of overseas workers amidst the ongoing Israel-Palestinian conflict. The scam involves tricking victims into downloading a fraudulent money transfer app on their mobile devices.

Sompong Kaewwandee, the head of the Chiang Rai Provincial Employment Office, issued a public warning on Thursday, cautioning people against clicking on suspicious links. According to Sompong, local villagers first brought the scam to the office’s attention. The fraudsters have been disseminating a dubious link via Line and SMS messages, specifically targeting the family members of Thai workers based in Israel.

Posing as Israeli bank service providers, these scammers encourage victims to download the ‘Monox’ app and follow the link to check the financial statements of their Israel-based relatives.

Sompong clarified that the legitimate Monox app should only be downloaded from Google Play and indicated that the link provided by the scammers is part of their ploy to access personal financial information.

Sompong advised anyone who has installed the counterfeit app to immediately disconnect their phone’s Internet or remove the SIM card, followed by a factory reset to clear any financial data. He also encouraged victims to report the incident to the local police or through the ‘thaipoliceonline.com’ website. Anyone with additional information can contact the Royal Thai Police on their ‘1441’ hotline.

In related news, Boonyavee Kwaipan, the acting director-general of the Employment Department, announced preparations to provide a compensation of 15,000 baht to Thai returnees from Israel who are members of the Aid Fund for Overseas Workers. Provincial employment offices have received instruction to expedite this compensation within three days.

The department has reached out to the Population and Immigration Authority in Israel, requesting that Thai workers be allowed to return to their jobs as soon as the situation stabilises, reported Bangkok Post.

Additionally, a list of alternative work locations for Thai returnees wishing to continue overseas employment has been prepared, including Taiwan, Portugal, Greece, and South Korea.

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