For Jack Ma, the third time wasn’t the charm.

The Chinese mogul’s Ant Financial is expected to fall short this week in its attempt to convince federal regulators to clear the company’s $1.2 billion purchase of MoneyGram, The Post has learned.

The setback would be the third time the regulator has refused to OK the deal.

Ant Financial is expected to refile its case with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS, sources said.

The three setbacks for Ant Financial, an affiliate of Alibaba, reflect the increasing difficulty for even highly influential Chinese-based companies to acquire US businesses.

“Since the Equifax breach, the idea of the Chinese or Russians getting hold of our data is so sensitive,” a source following the situation said.

There is speculation that China or Russian hackers could have been behind the massive Equifax breach.

Ant reached an $18-a-share deal in April to buy MoneyGram International — beating out a $15.20 bid from US-based Euronet Worldwide.

MoneyGram is second only to Western Union in the money transfer sector.

MoneyGram’s shares closed down 1.2 percent on Tuesday, at $13.83.

Euronet is still interested in buying MoneyGram, but might now find it challenging to pay even $10 a share if the Ant sale falls through because of MoneyGram’s deteriorating financial health , said a source familiar with Euronet’s thinking.

CFIUS, a multi-agency presidential advisory panel, has been reviewing the Ant bid since spring.

It became concerned with the possibility of data theft by foreign countries as part of the review process a few months ago, two sources with direct knowledge of the panel’s thinking told The Post.

Previously, the panel focused narrowly on more traditional national security issues.

Ant maintains it is not controlled by the Chinese government. While state-owned or affiliate funds (similar to pension funds) have invested in Ant, they are passive investors, Ant maintains.

Ant reportedly refiled both in July and September — each time giving CFIUS 75 days to clear the deal.

The latest deadline arrives around Dec. 6, and CFIUS is not expected to clear the merger, sources said.

A MoneyGram spokeswoman would not comment on the CFIUS process, saying, “As you know the CFIUS process is confidential and therefore we are unable to discuss at this time.”

MoneyGram in 2016 generated 18 percent of its transfer revenue from Walmart — but has been steadily pressured by the retail giant to lower its fees.

That, in turn, has pressured it to lower fees to all US customers, a source said.

MoneyGram reported that for the nine months ended Sept. 30, its US-to-US transfer business revenue was off 17 percent.

Ant’s merger agreement expires Jan. 26 and can be extended to April 26.

Ant and Euronet declined comment.