A report by the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has stated criminal networks in Southeast Asia are exploiting Telegram and utilizing the messaging app as a digital hub for illicit activity.
The app’s effective encryption credentials make it an attractive platform for the proliferation of organized crime.
Stolen data, including credit card details, log-in credentials, and browser history are sold openly on Telegram channels with little moderation oversight, according to the UN report.
The investigation added that deepfake software and malware are also advertised, with unlicensed crypto exchanges offering money laundering services. UN officials scraped Telegram and found patterns of words associated with deepfake technology, suggesting an increase in demand for the tech.
A multi-billion dollar industry
The UNODC estimates the underworld industry in Southeast Asia generates between $27.4 billion and $36.5 billion each year.
It indicates there is “strong evidence of underground data markets moving to Telegram and vendors actively looking to target transnational organized crime groups based in Southeast Asia.
“Leveraging technological advances, criminal groups are producing larger scale and harder to detect fraud, money laundering, underground banking, and online scams,” said Masood Karimipour, UNODC Regional Representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
This has led to the creation of a criminal service economy, and the region has now emerged as a key testing ground for transnational criminal networks looking to expand their influence and diversify into new business lines,” he added.
A critical line in the report and a warning shot to governments and law enforcement agencies stated, “Failure to address this ecosystem will have consequences” for Southeast Asia and other regions.
At a time when Telegram is already under intense scrutiny following the detention of its CEO Pavel Durov, the UN publication will only increase the pressure.
The company changed its privacy policy last month to confirm it would provide user data to law enforcement agencies in response to a valid legal order. This represents a clear shift in Telegram’s stance on sharing data with law enforcement.
