BANGKOK (Reuters) — Powerful criminal networks in Southeast Asia extensively use the messaging app Telegram which has enabled a fundamental change in the way organised crime can conduct large-scale illicit activity, the United Nations said in a report on Monday.
The report represents the latest allegations to be levied against the controversial encrypted app since France, using a tough new law with no international equivalent, charged its boss Pavel Durov for allowing criminal activity on the platform.
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Hacked data including credit card details, passwords and browser history are openly traded on a vast scale on the app which has sprawling channels with little moderation, the report by the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said.
Tools used for cybercrime, including so-called deepfake software designed for fraud, and data-stealing malware are also widely sold, while unlicensed cryptocurrency exchanges offer money laundering services, according to the report.
“We move 3 million USDT stolen from overseas per day,” the report quoted one ad as saying in Chinese. 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,” the report said.
This is a line chart showing the number of mentions of deepfake keywords in select underground Telegram marketplaces and forums in Southeast Asia from Feb. to Aug. 2024
Southeast Asia has emerged as a major hub for a multibillion-dollar industry that targets victims across the world with fraudulent schemes.
Many are Chinese syndicates that operate from fortified compounds staffed by trafficked workers. The industry generates between $27.4 billion to $36.5 billion annually, UNODC said.
Russian-born Durov was arrested in Paris in August and charged with allowing criminal activity on the platform including the spread of sexual images of children. The move has put the spotlight on the criminal liability of app providers and also triggered debate on where freedom of speech ends and enforcement of the law begins.
Telegram, which has close to 1 billion users, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
