The Investment Whisperer
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Investing
  • World
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Investing
  • World

The Investment Whisperer

World

Telegram hosts ‘underground markets’ for Southeast Asian crime gangs, UN says

by admin October 8, 2024
October 8, 2024
Telegram hosts ‘underground markets’ for Southeast Asian crime gangs, UN says

Bangkok, Thailand (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.

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.

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.

Following his arrest, Durov, who is currently out on bail, said the app would hand over users’ IP addresses and phone numbers to authorities making legal requests. He also said the app would remove some features that have been abused for illegal activity.

Benedikt Hofmann, UNODC’s deputy representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, said the app was an easily navigable environment for criminals.

“For consumers, this means their data is at a higher risk of being fed into scams or other criminal activity than ever before,” he told Reuters.

The report said the sheer scale of the profits earned by criminal groups in the region had required them to innovate, adding they had integrated new business models and technologies including malware, generative artificial intelligence and deepfakes into their operations.

UNODC said it had identified more than 10 deepfake software service providers “specifically targeting criminal groups involved in cyberenabled fraud in Southeast Asia.”

Elsewhere in Asia, police in South Korea – estimated to be the country most targeted by deepfake pornography – have reportedly launched an investigation into Telegram that will look at whether it abets online sex crimes.

Reuters also reported last month that a hacker had used chatbots on Telegram to leak the data of top Indian insurer Star Health, prompting the insurer to sue the platform.

Using the chatbots, Reuters was able to download policy and claims documents featuring names, phone numbers, addresses, tax details, copies of ID cards, test results and medical diagnoses.

This post appeared first on cnn.com

0
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
previous post
A year into the war, Israeli military operations in Gaza continue to ramp up and Hamas is yet to be defeated
next post
Mexican mayor killed less than a week after taking office

Related Posts

North Korea to mass produce self-detonating explosive drones,...

November 15, 2024

Navalny was possibly ‘days’ away from release in a prisoner...

February 28, 2024

A potent planet-warming gas is seeping out of...

March 30, 2024

‘There’s no more life’: Khan Younis residents return...

April 10, 2024

UN mourns the deaths of more than 100...

November 15, 2023

Russian ship suspected of delivering Iranian ballistic missiles...

September 12, 2024

Manmohan Singh, India’s former prime minister, dies aged...

December 27, 2024

Renewed fighting in Myanmar has displaced 26,000 people...

November 19, 2023

Problems mount for UK PM Rishi Sunak as...

February 17, 2024

Nauru agrees to give Australia veto rights overpacts...

December 10, 2024

    Stay updated with the latest news, exclusive offers, and special promotions. Sign up now and be the first to know! As a member, you'll receive curated content, insider tips, and invitations to exclusive events. Don't miss out on being part of something special.


    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Categories

    • Business (1,550)
    • Investing (4,201)
    • Politics (5,579)
    • World (4,762)
    • About us
    • Contact us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Disclaimer: TheInvestmentWhisperer.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2024 TheInvestmentWhisperer.com | All Rights Reserved