The threats are sent to users through simple email campaigns. The malware itself is not spread by Telegram messages-which its why, as Check Point says, it doesn’t matter whether you have it installed or not. Telegram enabled cyber attack Check Point Even when Telegram is not installed or being used, it allows hackers to send malicious commands and operations remotely via the instant messaging app.” They can do anything-teach, play, search, broadcast, remind, connect, integrate with other services, or even pass commands to the Internet of Things.” Unfortunately, that’s not all those bots can do.Ĭheck Point, which also issued this new Telegram warning, says it has “tracked 130 cyber attacks that used malware managed over Telegram by attackers in the last three months. It provides seemingly limitless groups and channels, and a range of other sophisticated features, including its own “bot platform.”Īs Telegram explains, “bots are simply Telegram accounts operated by software-not people-and they'll often have AI features. Its architecture now serves more than 500 million users, through a spider’s web of connected endpoints and its own cloud back-end.

SPF advises the public to remain vigilant so that they do not fall prey to scammers.Telegram is significantly more complex than its direct rivals, the likes of Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, iMessage and Signal. Here's an example of a phishing link sent by a scammer: Here are some examples of WhatsApp messages sent by scammers through compromised WhatsApp accounts: The victims' contacts would only realise that they have been scammed when they discover unauthorised transactions made from their bank accounts. Scammers would then trick the contacts into providing them with their personal information or send them phishing links to fake websites to retrieve their banking credentials and One-Time Passwords (OTPs). To carry out the scam, scammers would take over WhatsApp accounts, impersonate victims and communicate with the victims' friends or contacts. These scammers have gained access to victims' WhatApp accounts after obtaining the six-digit verification code either from the victims directly or through the victims' voicemail accounts, SPF said.Ĭompromised WhatsApp accounts used for banking-related phishing scams

What is whatsapp used for scamming