Telegram's Dark Turn: Southeast Asia's Criminal Networks Exploit App for Global Scams

Telegram has become a hotbed for Southeast Asian criminal networks, facilitating the sale of hacked data, malware distribution, and unregulated cryptocurrency exchanges, according to a UN report exposing a multibillion-dollar cybercrime industry.

Telegram's Role in Southeast Asia's Criminal Networks

According to a UN assessment released on Monday, powerful criminal networks in Southeast Asia have revolutionized the way organized crime conducts large-scale unlawful operations by heavily utilizing the messaging software Telegram.

According to US News, the accusations against the controversial encrypted software have been mounting recently, with French prosecutor Pavel Durov facing charges for allegedly enabling criminal conduct on the network under a harsh new statute that lacks an international counterpart.

Hacked Data and Cybercrime Tools Thrive on Telegram

According to the UNODC assessment, the app has extensive channels with minimal control and users openly sell hacked data such as credit card details, passwords, and browsing history.

Cybercrime tools, such as data-stealing malware and so-called deepfake software, are distributed widely, and unlicensed cryptocurrency exchanges offer money laundering services, as stated in the research.

"We move 3 million USDT stolen from overseas per day," one ad said in Chinese, according to the article.

Underground Data Markets Shift to Telegram

In addition, "strong evidence of underground data markets moving to Telegram and vendors actively looking to target transnational organized crime groups based in Southeast Asia," according to the research.

There is a multibillion dollar industry in Southeast Asia that uses deceitful techniques to target people all over the globe. There are a lot of Chinese organized crime groups that use fortified compounds and trafficked workers to run their operations. According to UNODC, the yearly revenue of the industry ranges from $27.4 billion to $36.5 billion.

Telegram CEO Arrested Amid Global Investigations

August saw the arrest of Durov, a Russian national, in Paris on charges related to permitting criminal behavior on the platform, which included the dissemination of pornographic photographs of children. This decision has sparked discussions about the boundary between free expression and the need to enforce the law, and it has also highlighted the criminal responsibility of app developers.

Durov, who is now out on bond after his arrest, claimed the app would provide the IP addresses and phone information of users to the authorities who asked for them legally. Additionally, he mentioned that certain aspects of the app would be disabled due to their usage in criminal activities.

UN Warns of Data Risk for Telegram Users

Deputy UNODC representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, Benedikt Hofmann, stated that the software provided a user-friendly setting where criminals could easily operate.

"For consumers, this means their data is at a higher risk of being fed into scams or other criminal activity than ever before," Reuters reported.

New Technologies Fuel Cybercrime on Telegram

According to the report, criminal groups in the region were forced to innovate due to the massive revenues they earned. They included new business models and technology into their operations, such as deepfakes, generative artificial intelligence, and malware.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reported that it had apprehended over ten companies "specifically targeting criminal groups involved in cyberenabled fraud in Southeast Asia" that provided deepfake software.

Investigations Expand into Telegram's Role in Cybercrime

Police in South Korea, thought to be the country most hit by deepfake pornography, have allegedly begun investigating Telegram to determine if it facilitates online sex crimes. This is happening somewhere in Asia.

Last month, Reuters reported that Star Health, a leading Indian insurer, sued Telegram after a hacker leaked their data using chatbots on the network.

Reuters obtained policy and claims records containing names, phone numbers, addresses, tax information, copies of identification documents, test findings, and medical diagnoses through the use of chatbots.