The messaging app Telegram has become a hub for large-scale illicit activities by powerful criminal networks in Southeast Asia, according to a report released Monday by the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
The report highlights how the encrypted platform has enabled a fundamental shift in organized crime operations, with sprawling channels facilitating the trade of hacked data, cybercrime tools, and money laundering services.
“We’re seeing a digital Wild West emerge on Telegram,” said Benedikt Hofmann, UNODC’s deputy representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific. “For consumers, this means their data is at a higher risk of being fed into scams or other criminal activity than ever before.”
The UNODC found evidence of open trade in hacked personal data, including credit card details and browser histories. Cybercrime tools, such as deepfake software and data-stealing malware, are widely available. Unlicensed cryptocurrency exchanges offer money laundering services, with one advertisement boasting, “We move 3 million USDT stolen from overseas per day.”
Southeast Asia has emerged as a major hub for cybercrime, with UNODC estimating the industry generates between $27.4 billion to $36.5 billion annually. Many operations are run by Chinese syndicates operating from fortified compounds staffed by trafficked workers.
The report comes as Telegram faces increasing scrutiny worldwide. In France, CEO Pavel Durov was recently charged under a new law for allowing criminal activity on the platform, including the spread of child sexual abuse material.
In response to recent allegations, Durov announced Telegram would hand over users’ IP addresses and phone numbers to authorities making legal requests and remove features abused for illegal activity.
The UNODC report also noted the integration of new technologies by criminal groups, including generative AI and deepfakes, to enhance their operations. As investigations into Telegram’s role in facilitating cybercrime continue globally, the platform’s future and the broader implications for digital security remain uncertain.
