Authored by Ken Nohara

Introduction: The Dual Nature of Telegram Unlike many social platforms that rely heavily on algorithmically curated feeds, Telegram opts for a straightforward, chronological approach. Users can create public channels that broadcast messages to potentially vast audiences, host massive group chats of up to 200,000 participants, and share a wide array of multimedia and files without any automated filtering. This structural simplicity is part of its charm: there is no Facebook-style news feed to manipulate, no YouTube-like recommendation algorithm that can be tweaked, and no constant reshuffling of content that can suppress certain voices.

However, what many see as transparency and neutrality also serves as a glaring vulnerability. Without algorithmic content

control or robust moderation, Telegram’s open structure is a magnet for misuse. This permissive ecosystem enables propaganda networks and disinformation peddlers to disseminate false narratives swiftly and widely, with minimal risk of detection or removal. The very elements that once made Telegram a champion of free dialogue have become its Achilles’ heel, allowing malicious actors to exploit its channels for deceit, manipulation, and criminal profit.

This case study delves into Telegram’s systemic vulnerabilities, including a glaring example involving the sale of the verified “Crimewatch UK” channel. This incident illustrates how Telegram’s verification process

—designed to ensure trust—can be weaponized for fraudulent purposes. These cases underscore the urgent need for platform accountability and highlights how tools like Report can combat cyber fraud and foster a safer digital landscape.

Case in Point: The Sale of “Crimewatch UK” Verified Channel

Telegram markets its verification system as a tool for establishing authenticity and trust for public figures and organizations. However, the investigation into the “Crimewatch UK” channel sale presented undeniable evidence of Telegram’s systemic weaknesses. Screenshots of the sale process, juxtaposed with Telegram’s own verification policies, revealed significant loopholes that bad actors exploit to operate with impunity. Governments and organizations relying on Telegram for trusted communication are increasingly alarmed by these revelations, recognizing the urgent need for stronger safeguards.

Documented Evidence

LexCura compiled screenshots of the sale process alongside Telegram’s official verification policy, highlighting the platform’s failure to safeguard against such misuse. This

incident serves as a wake-up call for governments and organizations relying on Telegram for trusted communication.

Key Issues:

• Illegal Marketplaces: The platform serves as a hub for human trafficking, drug sales, and child exploitation, with anonymity shielding perpetrators.
• Disinformation Campaigns: Telegram’s untraceable accounts enable the spread of false narratives and propaganda that undermine public trust.
• Such anonymity presents a double- edged sword: Offering privacy for users but enabling criminals to act with impunity.

Role of Telegram in Propaganda and Disinformation

The Megaphone Effect

Telegram’s broadcasting features resemble a digital megaphone—anyone can shout, and

everyone can listen. While this can empower marginalized voices and independent journalists, it also provides an unparalleled opportunity for bad actors. Unlike platforms that at least attempt rudimentary moderation or rely on artificial intelligence to flag dangerous content, Telegram’s hands-off approach allows extremist groups, conspiracy theorists, and foreign influence operations to thrive.

Particularly concerning is the absence of systematic oversight. Telegram relies primarily on user reports to flag problematic channels, a reactive model ill-equipped for the platform’s scale. Without internal mechanisms to identify and throttle harmful content, Telegram often lags behind other social media giants in curbing the spread of dangerous narratives.

A Global Battlefield: Ukraine’s Complex Case

The complexities of Telegram’s dual nature have been laid bare by the war in Ukraine. On one hand, the platform became a digital lifeline in February 2022 after Russia’s invasion, enabling millions of Ukrainians to coordinate humanitarian relief, access real- time security updates, and share critical survival tips. Independent journalists and ordinary citizens used Telegram as a conduit to bypass state media propaganda, documenting on-the-ground realities and reaching an audience that traditional broadcasters struggled to access.

However, these same characteristics created an ideal environment for Russian state- sponsored misinformation on Telegram.

Cleverly posing as respectable news organizations or civil society organizations, fake Ukrainian channels disseminate lies meant to cause uncertainty, fear, and bewilderment among Ukrainians. False reports that Ukrainian forces were committing

atrocities or that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had left the nation quickly and extensively spread. Numerous such Telegram channels were discovered by Ukrainian cybersecurity officials, highlighting how readily the platform’s advantages might be used against the same groups it was designed to support.

A Worldwide Epidemic of Disinformation Telegram has been known for supporting global disinformation campaigns outside of the Ukrainian war. It turned into a meeting spot for conspiracy theorists, anti-lockdown campaigners, and anti-vaccine organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic. These organizations produced alarmist and frequently blatantly misleading content without any mechanism for moderation, ranging from claims that 5G technology was spreading the virus to phony miracle cures.

This false information exacerbated social divisions, encouraged vaccine hesitancy, and

seriously undermined public health programs. Political contests around the world have shown similar trends.

Facilitating Illicit Activities A Refuge for Criminality

While the promise of encryption and anonymity attracts ordinary citizens seeking privacy, it also appeals to criminals who prefer to operate in the shadows. Drug traffickers, arms dealers, child predators, and human traffickers have seized on Telegram’s secure communication channels, turning them into illicit marketplaces and recruitment hubs. The platform’s file-sharing features and private chats provide cover for criminals to transact and communicate without leaving a paper trail.

A chilling example occurred in 2024, when Pavel Durov was arrested in France following revelations that Telegram had become a conduit for child sexual abuse material, as

well as a resource for organized crime groups. Investigators uncovered evidence that certain Telegram channels facilitated the distribution of horrific imagery, the arrangement of illegal deals, and even the planning of violent acts.

Although Telegram swiftly condemned such activities, the company’s long-standing refusal to proactively moderate content has made it notoriously difficult to close these channels before they inflict widespread harm.

An Ecosystem of Crime

This dark underbelly extends beyond just a few bad actors. International law enforcement agencies, from Europol to the FBI, have noted Telegram’s importance to global criminal networks. In several high-profile cases, authorities have traced illegal drugs and weapons sales back to Telegram groups, while terrorists have reportedly used the platform to coordinate attacks and spread extremist propaganda.

Despite growing public outcry and legal pressure, Telegram’s moderation practices remain largely reactive. When illicit content is flagged, it may be removed—eventually—but by then the harm is often done. This lag time offers criminals a comfortable operational window, raising existential questions about Telegram’s governance model and the company’s willingness to address these problems proactively.

Financial Misconduct and the Integration of Cryptocurrencies

The Open Network (TON): A Gateway to Fraud

Telegram’s push into the financial domain with The Open Network (TON) and its native token, Toncoin, signaled ambitions to create a parallel financial ecosystem within the app.

While this integration promised revolutionary convenience—enabling peer-to-peer transactions, microfinance, and global

remittances— it also gave rise to a torrent of financial scams, Ponzi schemes, and fraudulent token sales.

Unscrupulous actors quickly seized the opportunity to exploit users who lacked the sophistication to distinguish legitimate projects from “rug pulls,” where investors’ funds vanish almost as soon as they are deposited. Telegram channels touting so- called “guaranteed” returns attracted thousands of users, many of whom lost their life savings. Notorious scam tokens like “Hamster Kombat Bot” and “Major Coin” leveraged Telegram’s unregulated environment to lure in victims, promising lucrative rewards before abruptly disappearing.

A Regulatory Black Hole

Mainstream financial institutions and governments have expressed grave concerns about Telegram’s loose approach to

cryptocurrency oversight. Unlike regulated banking systems, Toncoin transactions are pseudo-anonymous and difficult to trace. This opacity appeals to money launderers and tax evaders while leaving everyday users without reliable recourse when fraud occurs.

Moreover, attempts to impose regulations on Telegram’s cryptosphere are complicated by the company’s global reach and fluid base of operations. The platform’s emphasis on encryption and privacy, while beneficial for evading oppressive censorship, also hinders legitimate regulatory efforts to root out financial misconduct. Striking the right balance between privacy and accountability remains a pressing challenge.

National Security Concerns and Intelligence Operations

A Sleeper Agent in the Digital Age Telegram’s capabilities have not gone unnoticed by intelligence services worldwide.

Ukrainian officials have famously called the platform a “sleeper agent,” referencing its role in facilitating Russian disinformation, cyberattacks, and espionage. Reports have surfaced suggesting that Russian authorities have accessed private Telegram chats to track opponents, exposing the precariousness of claiming the platform as a safe harbor for truly private communication.

Beyond Eastern Europe, intelligence agencies across the globe are keeping a close watch.

The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the U.K.’s MI5, and various European and Asian intelligence organizations have noted Telegram’s complexity as a surveillance target. The platform’s secure communication features make it difficult, if not impossible, for these agencies to monitor extremist plots, cross-border criminal networks, or stealthy cyber warfare preparations.

A Threat to International Stability

As Telegram’s role in shaping narratives, fueling tensions, and disseminating propaganda grows, the platform has become a flashpoint in discussions about digital sovereignty and state security. Governments worry that unchecked communication channels could be weaponized, undermining democratic institutions and weakening alliances. For small nations with limited cybersecurity infrastructure, Telegram can appear less like a neutral communication tool and more like a Trojan horse that threatens their national security and social cohesion.

Name Auctions, Fragment Platform, and Impersonation Scandals

Controversies Over Premium Usernames Telegram’s Fragment platform, which enables the auctioning of desirable usernames, has generated fierce debate. While potentially lucrative, selling usernames—such as the now-infamous auctioning of “@Israel” during

the October 7th attacks—raises serious ethical and security concerns. Critics argue that allowing anonymous, high-stakes bidding for symbolic or politically sensitive usernames erodes transparency and accountability. It can also facilitate impersonation, as malicious actors purchase a username to pose as an official entity, misleading the public and sowing distrust.

High-Profile Impersonations

Telegram’s lax verification system has led to widespread impersonation scandals. Without a robust verification mechanism, channel owners can adopt famous names or entities, manipulating large audiences into believing they are consuming authentic content. Each new scandal chips away at Telegram’s credibility and heightens calls for stronger safeguards against misrepresentation.

One particularly egregious case involves Telegram accounts claiming ties to Tiffany

Trump, leveraging her connection to the president-elect’s 17-year-old granddaughter, Kai Trump. A closer look at Tiffany Trump’s official Telegram stories reveals her legitimate engagement on the platform, highlighting the stark contrast between real content and fabricated narratives. Compounding the issue, platforms like Fragment.com, where Telegram NFTs are bought and sold, offer a direct link between usernames and celebrity-driven advertisement opportunities. Buyers of these NFTs inadvertently promote accounts tied to Kai Trump, creating a murky web of unintended associations.

Adding to the intrigue, LexCura’s investigative efforts have brought these impersonation schemes to light, exposing how Telegram’s ecosystem is being exploited.

Their investigation unveiled how fraudulent accounts have managed to bypass minimal safeguards, adopting identities that mislead users and tarnish the reputation of genuine figures.

As each incident unfolds, it becomes evident that Telegram’s reliance on user-driven moderation and limited verification is insufficient. Calls for stronger safeguards, more rigorous identity verification, and transparent oversight are louder than ever.

Without decisive action, the platform risks becoming a breeding ground for misinformation and impersonation, further alienating users who seek trustworthy content. These scandals serve as a reminder of the urgent need for reform. Until Telegram addresses its verification gaps, the line between authentic engagement and manipulation will remain perilously thin, leaving both public figures and users vulnerable to exploitation.

Demands for International Intervention Rising Regulatory Pressure

Alarmed by Telegram’s unchecked influence, governments around the world are formulating

regulations to rein it in. Ukraine, having experienced the app’s dual-edged impact firsthand, has proposed legislation mandating transparency for large anonymous channels.

The European Union is also studying Telegram’s involvement in cross-border crime and disinformation through frameworks like the Digital Services Act (DSA). In the United States, policymakers and advocacy groups are urging investigations into the platform’s role in high-profile misinformation and harassment campaigns.

Some lawmakers have floated the radical option of outright bans. They point to Telegram’s criminal networks, extremist propaganda, and potential threats to national security as reason enough to remove it from app stores entirely. Yet such proposals risk stifling legitimate speech, driving users to even darker corners of the internet, or strengthening the hands of censorship-prone governments.

Key Concerns:

• Surveillance Risks: Reports suggest that authoritarian regimes, such as Russia, exploit Telegram to track dissenters and access private communications.
• Cyberattacks: Telegram has been linked to coordinated cyberattacks, posing risks to national security and critical infrastructure.
• Such incidents highlight the platform’s dual role as a tool for freedom and an enabler of exploitation.

Impersonation and Username Auctions Telegram’s Fragment platform allows users to auction usernames, creating ethical and security challenges.

• High-stakes auctions for usernames, such as “@Israel,” have raised concerns about accountability and misuse during critical events.
• Telegram’s lax verification policies enable impersonators to manipulate public trust, leading to widespread scams.
• Need for stronger verification processes and accountability measures aims to address these systemic flaws.

Regulatory Inaction and the Need for Reform

Despite the growing evidence of harm, regulatory efforts to address Telegram’s vulnerabilities have been limited. This is why some comprehensive reforms are needed which includes:

• Enhanced Verification Standards: Preventing the sale and misuse of verified accounts.
• Proactive Content Moderation: Leveraging AI to detect and remove harmful content.
• Global Collaboration: Establishing international standards to hold platforms accountable.

Conclusion: A Call to Action

The sale of the “Crimewatch UK” verified channel, alongside Telegram’s broader systemic issues, highlights the urgent need for reform. Without stronger safeguards, platforms like Telegram risk becoming tools for harm rather than freedom.