Telegram Enabling Organised Crime and Cyber Fraud in Southeast Asia: UN Report

Powerful criminal networks in Southeast Asia are extensively using the messaging app Telegram, which has fundamentally changed the way organised crime can conduct large-scale illicit activities, according to a United Nations report.

The report adds to the growing allegations against the controversial encrypted app, following charges in France against its founder, Pavel Durov, for allowing criminal activities on the platform.

Hacked data, including credit card details, passwords, and browser history, are openly traded on Telegram’s vast, poorly moderated channels, the report by the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) stated.

Tools used for cybercrime, such as deepfake software designed for fraud and data-stealing malware, are also widely sold on the platform, the report noted.

UNODC said it had identified more than 10 deepfake software service providers specifically targeting criminal groups involved in cyber-enabled fraud in Southeast Asia.