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UN: SE Asia Criminals Exploit Telegram for Fraud, Scams
SE Asia Criminals: Criminal networks in Southeast Asia are increasingly using the messaging app Telegram to coordinate their activities, reshaping the dynamics of organized crime, according to a report released by the United Nations on Monday.
UN Reports Illegal Use of Telegram by SE Asia Criminals
The report highlighted that organised crimes has taken advantage of the platform’s loose moderation, allowing them to trade hacked data, cybercrime tools, and even launder money through unlicensed cryptocurrency exchanges.
Hacked data including credit card details, passwords and browser history are openly traded on a vast scale on the app which has sprawling channels with little moderation.
Additionally, tools used for cybercrime, including so-called deepfake software designed for fraud, and data-stealing malware are also widely sold, while unlicensed cryptocurrency exchanges offer money laundering services, according to the report.
According to the OCCRP, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) warned that underground data markets are migrating to Telegram, with vendors actively seeking to collaborate with transnational organized crime groups based in Southeast Asia, encouraging SE Asia Criminals.
Also Read: France’s New LOPMI Law could Put Telegram’s Founder Behind Bars
Consumers Data At A Higher Risk On Pavel’s App
The report follows legal charges against Telegram’s founder and CEO, Pavel Durov, in France, where he is accused of enabling criminal activity on the platform. The process is being conducted under a groundbreaking law with no international precedent.
UNODC Deputy Representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, Benedikt Hofmann, stressed the app’s appeal to criminals, explaining that “for consumers, this means their data is at a higher risk of being fed into scams or other criminal activity than ever before.”
Telegram, which has nearly 1 billion users globally, has not yet commented on the UN report or the charges against its founder.
The report also draws attention to investigations into Telegram in other parts of Asia. In South Korea, authorities are investigating Telegram’s involvement in facilitating online sex crimes, particularly through deep fake pornography.
Additionally, a recent incident in India saw a hacker use Telegram chatbots to leak sensitive data from Star Health, one of the country’s top insurers.
UNODC’s report underscores the need for stronger regulatory frameworks and better cooperation between governments and technology platforms to curb the growing misuse of encrypted apps like Telegram by criminal networks, especially SE Asia Criminals.
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