UN condemns Telegram use by cybercriminals in Asia

An investigation by the United Nations (UN) Office on Drugs and Crime found that Telegram is widely used as a service by cybercriminals in Southeast Asia. The report shows how the messenger has become a communication and sharing channel in various illegalities.

According to the document Telegram “a radical change was allowed“It is widely used in the activities of criminal organizations that expand their activities thanks to the application. Spreading data resulting from infestation, distribution of infection kits via malware, or even software solicitation deepfakes for fraud.

Still on Telegram A place where money laundering services are offered and contracted.through groups advertising on other platforms. “We carry 3 million USDT stolen from abroad daily“, says one of the ads found by the research, referring to the cryptocurrency tether.

Although Southeast Asia is already known as an area where such crimes are committed, it has never recorded as many cases of transactions carried out through these channels as it does now.

Telegram should cooperate more with investigations

Telegram is constantly criticized for hosting communication groups and offering criminal applications. It is also frequently accused of making it difficult for authorities to access the data of users who use the platform and are being investigated.

One of these cases recently led to the arrest of the app’s co-founder and CEO, Pavel Durov, in France. He is accused of numerous crimes, including being an accessory to illegal dealings, due to his refusal to cooperate with the justice system and the police.

In recent weeks, Messenger has made some changes to its terms of use and hinted that it would start handing over user access data to governments as long as it is formally requested.