Organized crime networks across Southeast Asia are increasingly leveraging Telegram for large-scale illegal activities, according to a report released by the United Nations on Monday. The encrypted messaging app has become a key platform for conducting illicit operations, enabling a fundamental shift in how these criminal groups operate.
The report, published by the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC), highlights how Telegram has evolved into a marketplace for hacked data, including credit card details, passwords, and browser histories. With sprawling, minimally moderated channels, the app allows users to trade sensitive information openly.
In addition to hacked data, the report reveals that Telegram is a hub for selling cybercrime tools. This includes deepfake software used for fraud and data-stealing malware, while unlicensed cryptocurrency exchanges on the platform provide money laundering services. One ad, quoted in the report, claimed to move "3 million USDT stolen from overseas per day," emphasizing the scale of these illicit activities.
The report underscores growing concerns about Telegram’s role in facilitating organized crime, with vendors using the app to target transnational criminal groups based in Southeast Asia. The region has become a central hub for a multibillion-dollar fraud industry, with syndicates—many run by Chinese criminal organizations—operating from fortified compounds staffed by trafficked workers. The industry generates between $27.4 billion and $36.5 billion annually, according to the UNODC.
The report arrives amid increasing scrutiny of Telegram’s role in criminal activity. In August, French authorities arrested the platform’s founder, Pavel Durov, under a new law that holds app providers accountable for enabling illegal activities. Durov faces charges for allowing the spread of child sexual abuse images and other criminal content on the platform, putting a spotlight on the legal responsibilities of messaging apps.
Following his arrest, Durov, who is currently out on bail, announced that Telegram would begin cooperating with legal authorities by handing over users’ IP addresses and phone numbers upon request. He also stated that the app would remove certain features that have been exploited for illegal purposes.
The UNODC report emphasizes how criminal groups in Southeast Asia are continually innovating, incorporating technologies such as malware, generative AI, and deepfake software into their operations. The scale of their profits has driven them to adopt new business models, with over 10 deepfake software service providers identified as specifically targeting these criminal groups.
Benedikt Hofmann, UNODC's deputy representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, warned that Telegram’s easily navigable environment has made it a haven for criminals. "For consumers, this means their data is at a higher risk of being fed into scams or other criminal activity than ever before," Hofmann said.
The widespread use of Telegram by criminal groups has triggered investigations beyond Southeast Asia. In South Korea, police are reportedly investigating the app’s role in enabling deepfake pornography, a significant concern in the country. Meanwhile, a recent hack in India exposed sensitive data from top insurer Star Health, with the hacker using Telegram chatbots to leak the information.
As criminal networks continue to exploit Telegram's encrypted platform, the report raises pressing questions about the balance between privacy, freedom of speech, and the enforcement of laws in the digital age.
