A recent report by the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has revealed that powerful criminal networks across Southeast Asia are extensively using the messaging app Telegram, enabling large-scale illicit activity. The app has become a hub for trading hacked data, including credit card details, passwords, and browsing histories, often in unmoderated, sprawling channels.
According to the report, cybercriminals are also selling deepfake software for fraud and data-stealing malware, while unlicensed cryptocurrency exchanges provide money laundering services. One advertisement on the app boasted, “We move 3 million USDT stolen from overseas per day,” reflecting the scale of these illegal operations. The UNODC’s findings point to a significant shift in how transnational organized crime is conducted, with Telegram now being a crucial platform for underground data markets.
The report also highlighted Southeast Asia as a central hub for a multibillion-dollar criminal industry, largely operated by Chinese syndicates from fortified compounds. These operations are notorious for trafficking workers and generate between $27.4 billion to $36.5 billion annually.
Telegram, which has nearly 1 billion users, has faced growing scrutiny over its role in enabling criminal activities. In August, Telegram’s CEO Pavel Durov was arrested in Paris and charged with allowing illegal activities on the platform, including the dissemination of sexual images of children. This move has sparked a debate about app providers’ criminal liability and the balance between freedom of speech and law enforcement.
In response to the allegations, Durov announced that Telegram would hand over users’ IP addresses and phone numbers to authorities with legal requests and remove features prone to abuse for illegal purposes.
Benedikt Hofmann, UNODC’s deputy representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, emphasized the risks for consumers, stating, “Their data is at a higher risk of being fed into scams or other criminal activity than ever before.” The report also noted the rise of deepfake technology and other advanced tools being integrated into criminal operations, with more than 10 deepfake service providers identified as targeting cyber-enabled fraud in the region.
This growing trend has prompted law enforcement across Asia, including in South Korea, to investigate Telegram for its role in enabling cybercrimes, particularly deepfake pornography. The platform has also faced lawsuits, such as one from Indian insurer Star Health, following a leak of sensitive customer data using Telegram’s chatbots.
The UNODC’s findings highlight the critical role that Telegram now plays in facilitating organized crime, raising urgent questions about its responsibility and the future of digital privacy.
