The use of the messaging app Telegram by powerful criminal networks in Southeast Asia has brought about a significant change in the way organized crime operates on a large scale, according to a report by the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) released on Monday.
The report highlights the extensive use of Telegram by criminal groups in the region for various illicit activities, including the trading of hacked data such as credit card details, passwords, and browser history. The app’s sprawling channels with little moderation provide a platform for the open trade of such sensitive information.
In addition to data trading, the report also points out the use of Telegram for cybercrime activities, with tools like deepfake software and data-stealing malware being widely sold on the platform. There are also unlicensed cryptocurrency exchanges offering money laundering services, further facilitating criminal activities.
One ad quoted in the report mentioned moving 3 million USDT stolen from overseas per day, indicating the scale of illicit financial transactions taking place on Telegram. The report also highlights the presence of underground data markets targeting transnational organized crime groups based in Southeast Asia.
The region has become a major hub for a multibillion-dollar industry that engages in fraudulent schemes targeting victims worldwide. Chinese syndicates, in particular, operate from fortified compounds with trafficked workers, generating billions of dollars in revenue annually.
The report comes in the wake of legal action taken against Telegram’s CEO, Pavel Durov, in France for allowing criminal activity on the platform, including the dissemination of sexual images of children. Durov’s arrest has raised questions about the criminal liability of app providers and the balance between freedom of speech and law enforcement.
In response to the allegations, Durov has stated that Telegram will cooperate with legal authorities by providing users’ IP addresses and phone numbers upon request. The platform will also remove features that have been abused for illegal activities.
UNODC’s deputy representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, Benedikt Hofmann, emphasized the ease with which criminals can operate on Telegram, putting users’ data at a higher risk of being used in scams or criminal activities. The report also highlights the innovative use of new technologies by criminal groups in the region, including malware, generative artificial intelligence, and deepfakes.
With the increasing prevalence of deepfake software targeting criminal groups involved in cyber-enabled fraud, authorities in South Korea have launched an investigation into Telegram for its potential role in online sex crimes. Additionally, a hacker recently used chatbots on Telegram to leak sensitive data from a top Indian insurer, prompting legal action against the platform.
The report underscores the urgent need for greater oversight and regulation of platforms like Telegram to prevent their misuse by criminal elements. As technology continues to evolve, law enforcement agencies must adapt their strategies to combat the growing threat of cybercrime facilitated by encrypted messaging apps.
