Telegram App Facilitates Underground Markets for Southeast Asian Crime Gangs, UN Report Reveals

Telegram is used by powerful criminal networks in Southeast Asia to conduct large-scale illicit activities. According to the UN report, hacked data is openly traded on the platform, and cybercrime tools are available. Southeast Asia has become a major hub for fraudulent schemes, with criminal syndicates generating billions of dollars per year.

Credit: TELEGRAM

The report focuses on how Telegram has changed the landscape of organised crime in the region, allowing for large-scale criminal operations.

The UN report comes on the heels of France's legal action against Telegram's founder, Pavel Durov, for allegedly facilitating criminal activity on the platform. The report reveals the open trading of hacked data, including sensitive information such as credit card numbers and passwords, on Telegram's unmoderated channels.

Furthermore, the report notes that cybercrime tools like deepfake software for fraud and data-stealing malware are easily accessible on Telegram. The platform also hosts unlicensed cryptocurrency exchanges that provide money laundering services, thereby facilitating criminal activity.

According to the report, Telegram has a significant number of underground data markets, with vendors actively targeting transnational organised crime groups in Southeast Asia. The region has become a hotspot for fraudulent schemes, with criminal syndicates making billions of dollars each year by targeting victims all over the world.

The arrest of Pavel Durov in Paris and subsequent charges related to criminal activities on Telegram have sparked debate about app providers' responsibilities in combating illegal activities. With nearly 1 billion users, Telegram's role in facilitating criminal activity has raised concerns about data security and law enforcement.

Benedikt Hofmann, UNODC's deputy representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, emphasised the risks posed by Telegram's criminal-friendly environment. He emphasised that users' data is becoming more vulnerable to scams and criminal exploitation on the platform.

The UN report highlights the innovative strategies used by criminal groups in Southeast Asia, which incorporate advanced technologies such as malware, artificial intelligence, and deepfakes into their illegal operations. To avoid detection, these groups have had to constantly evolve and adapt due to the size of their profits.

Telegram has pledged to cooperate with law enforcement by providing user information upon request and removing features that encourage illegal activity.

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• Powerful criminal networks in Southeast Asia are utilising Telegram for large-scale illicit activities.

• The UN report highlights the open trading of hacked data and the availability of cybercrime tools on the platform.

• Southeast Asia has become a major hub for fraudulent schemes, with criminal syndicates generating billions of dollars annually.

Source: REUTERS