Bangkok (Business Emerge), October 7: Powerful Southeast Asian criminal syndicates are utilizing the Telegram messaging app to conduct massive illegal operations, according to a report published by the United Nations on Monday. The widespread use of Telegram has led to a transformative shift in how organized crime operates, enabling extensive illicit activities on a large scale.
The United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) detailed that hacked data, including sensitive information such as credit card details, passwords, and browser histories, are being openly traded across unregulated and expansive Telegram channels. Additionally, tools used for cybercrime—including deepfake software for scams and data-stealing malware—are readily available on the platform. Unlicensed cryptocurrency exchanges on Telegram also facilitate money laundering activities.
A specific ad cited in the report, written in Chinese, boasted, “We move 3 million USDT stolen from overseas per day.” The report further emphasized that there is compelling evidence of underground data markets transitioning to Telegram, with sellers actively targeting international organized crime groups operating in Southeast Asia.
The region has become a major hub for a lucrative industry that uses fraudulent schemes to target victims worldwide, generating annual revenues between $27.4 billion and $36.5 billion, as stated by UNODC. Many of these criminal enterprises are operated by Chinese syndicates that run from heavily fortified compounds staffed by trafficked laborers.
Russian-born Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, was arrested in Paris in August on charges of enabling criminal activity on the platform, including the distribution of child sexual abuse content. This arrest has brought attention to the potential criminal liability of app providers and sparked debate on where the boundaries of free speech lie in relation to law enforcement.
Telegram, which is nearing 1 billion users, has yet to respond to the recent allegations.