Telegram FZ-LLC
Telegram FZ-LLC has been named in 4 documented digital harm incidents, including 3 involving minors. The most common harm domain is Fraud & Financial, followed by Misinfo & Disinfo.
Documented Incidents
4A 12-Year-Old Boy’s Arson Arrest May Be Linked to a Global Terror Network
A 12-year-old boy was arrested in Wisconsin in June for setting three cars on fire over six days. The boy, who used the Telegram handle “GhostyK,” was influenced by an extremist group linked to the 764 network called “SuicideHill.” He posted video footage of the arson attacks and marked vehicles with the group’s name in a Telegram group chat. The 764 network, founded in 2020 by a U.S. teenager, is a right-wing Satanist group that exploits vulnerable youth through violent imagery, Nazi symbolism, and psychological manipulation. The boy’s actions were shared in a Telegram channel known for promoting violence and antisemitic content, and the footage was later used in a compilation video to recruit new members. The FBI has over 250 investigations into the 764 network, which has been linked to self-harm, extortion, and child exploitation.
24-year-old woman discovers explicit images leaked online via Telegram group sharing NCII and CSAM of women and minors
A 24-year-old woman named Liyah Mai discovered that explicit images and videos of her had been leaked online after friends sent her screenshots from a Telegram group chat. The group, titled “Are we dating the same girl?”, was found to be sharing non-consensual intimate images (NCII) of women, including minors, along with doxxing and spreading vindictive lies. The Revenge Porn Helpline reported multiple instances of NCII being shared in these groups, with some containing images of children classified as illegal child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in the UK. Telegram has been criticized for its lack of content moderation and has refused to join international efforts to combat child abuse material online. Mai expressed concern over the impact on younger girls, noting that some nudes of girls as young as 15 were being shared. The Revenge Porn Helpline is working with the Internet Watch Foundation to report the content, but Telegram has been unresponsive to such reports.
Multiple victims defrauded of cryptocurrency via pig-butchering scams on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp
Meta removed over 2 million accounts linked to "pig-butchering" scams in 2024, which involve scammers building fake online relationships to defraud victims of cryptocurrency investments. The scams often begin on dating apps or social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, before moving to Telegram, which is known for limited moderation. In September 2024, the FBI reported that victims lost nearly $4 billion to crypto investment scams, primarily pig-butchering. Meta announced new measures, including automatically flagging potential scam messages and collaborating with other tech companies through the Tech Against Scams coalition. The company also took down accounts linked to a scam operation in Cambodia, which had used AI tools like ChatGPT to communicate with victims. Critics, however, argue that these efforts are insufficient and too slow to address the growing scale of the problem.
Bangladeshi workers lose savings to fake OpenAI cryptocurrency job platform scam on Telegram
A Bangladeshi worker was scammed after investing cryptocurrency into a fake job platform called "OpenAi-etc," which impersonated OpenAI and recruited users through Telegram. The worker, along with others, was encouraged to invest more money and recruit additional participants, with the total investment in their team reaching around $50,000. On August 29, 2024, the website and all funds disappeared, leaving victims with no access to their money. The scam affected at least 11 Bangladeshi individuals, with one complaint alleging over 6,000 people in Bangladesh were impacted. The fake OpenAi-etc website was hosted by a China-based web hosting company, and the scam used legitimate-looking business registrations to appear credible. OpenAI is investigating the matter, but the scammers could not be contacted for comment.