Bang Sue ‘sting’ identifies scammer selling jab appointments
Health officials will file a police complaint against an employee of a mobile operator who allegedly sold appointments for free jabs at Bang Sue Central Vaccination Centre.
The suspect was identified after the Bang Sue Centre reported an usual rush of appointments being made just after the centre closed, Department of Medical Services Somsak Ankasil said on Thursday.
Health officials then contacted AIS, True, Dtac, and NT – the four big mobile providing the booking service – to identify people who had bought jab appointments, Somsak explained.
“On July 28, about 100 of these people showed up at the centre. We let them in but then cancelled their appointments immediately so they would come forward and complain. We then asked them who they had contacted for the appointments. They said their contact was an employee in the mobile phone company.”
The department and the Bang Sue centre’s director have passed the information to railway police and asked them to file charges against the suspect.
Meanwhile, railway police are investigating seven volunteers at the centre who are suspected of facilitating the same scam, in which appointments were reportedly sold for 400-1,200 baht.
Somsak said another suspect is still being traced. He warned that if any medics were found to be involved in the scam, there would be serious criminal and ethical consequences.