The Department of Employment has alerted the public to a new scam that is capitalising on the conflict between Israel and Palestinians by tricking people into installing a fake money transfer app on their phones so the financial data of overseas workers can be stolen.
Sompong Kaewwandee, director of the Chiang Rai Provincial Employment Office, warned people on Thursdaynot to click on any suspicious link.
He said the office was informed of the risk by local villagers. He said scammers have been sending a suspicious link via Line and SMS messages to family members of Thai workers in Israel.
They are posing as bank account service providers from Israel and telling their victims to download the Monox app and click on the link in order to inspect the financial statements of Thai workers there. He said the real Monox app can only be downloaded from Google Play. The scammers claim the link they sent is required to inspect the information.
He suggested people who have installed the fake app disable the phone’s internet connection or remove the SIM card. They should then do a factory reset to clear the financial data.
He also urged people to file a report with local police or via “thaipoliceonline.com” website. Those with any more information can also inform the Royal Thai Police via its “1441” hotline.
Meanwhile, Boonyavee Kwaipan, acting director-general of the Employment Department, said it is preparing to provide compensation of 15,000 baht to Thai returnees from Israel who are members of the Aid Fund for Overseas Workers.
Provincial employment offices have been instructed to compensate Thai returnees within three days.
The department has submitted a written letter to the Population and Immigration Authority in Israel asking them to allow Thai workers to resume working there after the situation improves.
It has also prepared a list of alternative destinations for Thai returnees who want to continue working overseas, such as in Taiwan, Portugal, Greece or South Korea.