Criminal Networks in Southeast Asia Exploit Telegram for Large-Scale Illicit Activities

A new report from the United Nations highlights how organized crime in Southeast Asia has turned to the encrypted messaging app Telegram as a critical tool for conducting large-scale illicit operations. The report, published by the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on Monday, details how Telegram has facilitated the growth of underground criminal networks in Southeast Asia, enabling them to trade hacked data and engage in various cybercrimes.

Telegram, known for its encrypted communication and widespread usage, has increasingly become a hub for illegal activities due to its sprawling, unregulated channels and minimal moderation. These characteristics make it an ideal platform for criminals to exchange sensitive information, including hacked credit card details, passwords, browser history, and other forms of personal data. The appโ€™s environment has proven especially attractive to cybercriminals, who use it to sell tools like malware and deepfake software, which are designed for fraudulent purposes.

Criminal Networks in Southeast Asia Exploit Telegram for Large-Scale Illicit Activities

According to the UNODC report, unlicensed cryptocurrency exchanges operating within Telegramโ€™s ecosystem also provide money-laundering services, making it easier for criminal networks to move illicit funds across borders. One advertisement in Chinese, quoted in the report, boasted, โ€œWe move 3 million USDT stolen from overseas per day,โ€ underscoring the scale of these criminal enterprises.

The report further revealed strong evidence that underground data markets are shifting to Telegram, with vendors specifically targeting transnational organized crime groups based in Southeast Asia. The region has become a hotspot for a multibillion-dollar industry of cybercrime, often led by Chinese criminal syndicates that operate from fortified compounds and rely on trafficked workers to carry out their schemes. The UNODC estimates that these operations generate between $27.4 billion and $36.5 billion annually.

Southeast Asiaโ€™s role in this illicit activity has only grown as criminal networks adopt new technologies such as malware, artificial intelligence, and deepfakes. The report points to more than ten deepfake software providers specifically catering to these cybercriminal groups, with the use of deepfake technologies increasing in Southeast Asia from February to August 2024.

The rise in Telegramโ€™s use by criminal networks has also drawn the attention of law enforcement worldwide. In August, Telegramโ€™s founder, Pavel Durov, was arrested in Paris and charged under a new French law that holds app providers accountable for enabling criminal activity. Durovโ€™s arrest, which highlighted the platformโ€™s role in the distribution of illegal content, including sexual images of children, has sparked a broader debate about the balance between freedom of speech and the need for legal enforcement.

See Also: Telegram CEO Pavel Durov Responds to Arrest in France, Defends Platform Amidst Misuse Accusations

Following his arrest, Durov, later released on bail, pledged to cooperate with authorities by handing over usersโ€™ IP addresses and phone numbers when legally requested. He also announced plans to remove certain features used for criminal purposes.

Benedikt Hofmann, the UNODCโ€™s deputy representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, emphasized that the growing presence of criminal networks on Telegram poses a significant threat to consumers. โ€œFor consumers, this means their data is at a higher risk of being fed into scams or other criminal activity than ever before,โ€ he said.

As authorities in countries like South Korea and India investigate Telegramโ€™s role in cybercrimes, it is becoming increasingly clear that the platformโ€™s lack of regulation has allowed it to become a breeding ground for criminal networks. The UNODCโ€™s report underscores the urgent need for stronger oversight and international cooperation to combat the rise of cybercrime in Southeast Asia.

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Onsa Mustafa

Onsa is a Software Engineer and a tech blogger who focuses on providing the latest information regarding the innovations happening in the IT world. She likes reading, photography, travelling and exploring nature.

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