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Telegram is being besieged by malware scams, according to the Web3-focused Scam Sniffer X account. Posting a thread on the Musk run platform, they pointed to data that showed Telegram’s scammers have shifted tactics to deploying malware.
Telegram is a communications app, with calls and messaging built in. It’s an alternative to apps like WhatsApp and Signal. The platform uses encryption to keep things private between users, making it a prime hotspot for scammers.
Typically crypto scammers on Telegram will use traditional phishing scams to gain access to information or wallets. These tactics usually involve social engineering or asking people to provide information they shouldn’t through spoofed web pages or other tactics.
Instead, Telegram’s latest scams are asking people to use or install scam verification tools. These also include verification bots, fake trading groups, and according to Scam Sniffer, “”Exclusive” alpha groups”.
A graph, shows fake Telegram groups rising above fake phishing sites for the first time.
1/6 📊 ALERT: Our data shows a concerning trend—Telegram malware scams have surpassed traditional phishing!
From Nov 2024 to Jan 2025:
– Malicious Telegram group scams increased by 2000%+
– Regular phishing remained stableHere's why this matters… 🧵 https://t.co/6MQkDWCLrr pic.twitter.com/U6YBtbaPHK
— Scam Sniffer | Web3 Anti-Scam (@realScamSniffer) January 16, 2025
Victims who fall for the scam are then poised to be taken advantage of. The malware gives access to passwords, wallets, and clipboard data (from copy-pasting) and can even infiltrate your phone to steal browser data.
Telegram scammers trying to skirt public knowledge with new schemes
The move from older-style scams has been spurred by the public being less susceptible to them after decades. However, Scam Sniffer also says that the new scams also allow for tracing back to the source to be harder to do.
Cryptocurrency scams are at an all-time high, with data from Scam Sniffer showing nearly 2000+% growth in dedicated scam groups. With Bitcoin rocketing in value to over $100,000 per coin, it’s putting an increasingly large target on people’s backs.
Telegram has been actively banning accounts, but it can be difficult to keep on top of it – as with any social network.
The website “Web3 is Going Great”, which tracks scams, hacks, and other nefarious activities within the world of Web3 has covered $7.84 million in losses since 2025 began.
