Criminal gangs in Southeast Asia use messaging app Telegram

Hacked data, including credit card details and passwords, was traded publicly on Telegram, according to a report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Photo: Reuters

According to a report from UNODC, the tools used by cybercriminals, including deepfake software and widely sold malware and money laundering services, show that cybercrime is becoming more industrialized and accessible than ever.

“We transfer 3 million stolen USDT from overseas every day,” the report quoted an advertisement in Chinese.

The report indicates that underground data markets are shifting to Telegram, and service providers are looking to target transnational organized crime groups in Southeast Asia. The region has become a major hub for the scam industry, estimated to be worth between $27.4 billion and $36.5 billion a year.

Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, was arrested in Paris in August and charged with enabling criminal activities on his platform, including the distribution of child pornography, raising serious questions about the legal liability of online service providers.

Pavel Durov, who is currently out on bail, said Telegram would cooperate with authorities by handing over users' IP addresses and phone numbers when legally required. He also said the app would remove some features that had been abused for illegal activities.

The app is an easy-to-navigate environment for criminals, said Benedikt Hofmann, UNODC deputy representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific .

“For users, this means their data is at risk of being misused in fraud or other criminal activities,” he told Reuters.

The report found that criminal gangs in Southeast Asia have made huge profits, integrating malware, artificial intelligence and deepfakes into their operations, allowing them to conduct more sophisticated transactions and fraud.

The UNODC has identified more than 10 deepfake software service providers for criminal groups involved in cyber fraud in Southeast Asia. South Korea – said to be the country most affected by deepfake software – has launched an investigation into Telegram.

Last month, Reuters reported that a hacker used a Telegram chatbot to steal and spread leaked data from Star Health, a leading insurance company in India. The incident led to the insurer's decision to sue the platform.

Hackers used chatbots to download a variety of sensitive documents, including policy and claims information, such as names, phone numbers, addresses, tax information, copies of ID cards, as well as medical test results and diagnoses.

The incident not only highlights the ease with which technology can be abused, but also raises serious questions about data security and the responsibility of tech platforms to protect users' personal information.

Ha Trang (according to the UN, Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/lien-hop-quoc-bang-nhom-toi-pham-o-dong-nam-a-su-dung-telegram-de-giao-dich-bat-hop-phap-post315885.html