Chinese networks operating via Telegram have consolidated the world’s largest illicit economy of crypto scams globally. According to a detailed report by Mohammad Shahid, these platforms now exceed any historical dark web market. The industrial use of digital tools facilitates money laundering and massive fraud publicly in the current market.
The volume of transactions processed by these entities reaches unprecedented figures in the digital financial industry. Data from Elliptic reveals that Haowang Guarantee moved 27 billion dollars recently. This amount exceeds the total volume processed by the largest black markets in world history.
Likewise, emerging markets like Tudou and Xinbi manage billions of dollars every single month. The magnitude of these financial operations evidences a transition toward much more sophisticated fraud systems today.
Furthermore, the messaging platform’s open structure allows global reach without any technical friction. Unlike the Tor network, users do not require specialized knowledge to access these services easily. Anonymity and fast response times turn Telegram into the ideal haven for cybercriminals right now.
Therefore, vendor reputation systems mimic the classic functions of prohibited markets effectively. The ease of creating new channels allows scammers to evade constant security bans on the platform.
The sophistication of industrial fraud powered by artificial intelligence
On the other hand, the financial engine of this ecosystem relies almost exclusively on stablecoin technology. The use of USDT allows for fast settlements that are difficult for international authorities to track. Almost all illicit transactions are carried out using this digital asset for its immediate liquidity.
In this way, the system remains operational despite global regulatory efforts. Dependency on centralized digital assets concentrates an enormous risk for global financial security at this time.
Likewise, the integration of artificial intelligence has industrialized social engineering to deceive thousands of people. Chinese groups sell face-swap software and voice-cloning tools to other scammers. These tools allow impersonating real identities during video calls to generate false trust in victims.
Consequently, fraudulent investment schemes operate with massive assembly-line efficiency today. The use of deepfake technology increases fraud conversion rates at an alarming pace for the industry.
Is it possible to stop the growth of this criminal ecosystem on Telegram?
It is also fundamental to understand that these networks feed the global industry of romantic and financial fraud. Markets supply stolen identities and fake investment platforms to operation centers in Southeast Asia. Pig-butchering scams generate million-dollar annual losses to victims all over the world today.
Therefore, fighting this phenomenon requires international coordination between platforms and police forces. Control over money laundering networks is essential to economically stifle these criminal organizations soon.
Finally, the disappearance of traditional dark web markets does not mean the end of cybercrime. The migration toward mass messaging applications represents a major challenge for contemporary cybersecurity.
The sustained growth of these groups suggests that the problem will continue expanding without radical intervention. For this reason, user education about crypto scams is the first line of defense. Constant monitoring of public channels will be necessary to protect the integrity of the financial system.
