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Criminal networks in Southeast Asia flourish in Telegram's 'underground markets': UN

Economic Times · 1m

1. Criminal networks in Southeast Asia are extensively using the messaging app Telegram for large-scale illicit activities, according to a report by the UNODC. 2. The app has sprawling channels with little moderation, allowing open trading of hacked data, including credit card details and passwords. 3. Tools for cybercrime, such as deepfake software and data-stealing malware, are widely sold on Telegram, along with unlicensed cryptocurrency exchanges offering money laundering services. 4. The report states evidence of underground data markets moving to Telegram and vendors actively targeting transnational organized crime groups in Southeast Asia. 5. Southeast Asia has become a major hub for a multibillion-dollar industry that targets victims worldwide with fraudulent schemes, generating billions of dollars annually. 6. Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, has been charged with allowing criminal activity on the platform, raising questions about app providers' criminal liability and freedom of speech.