Party drug prices are falling on the encrypted messaging app despite claims of record seizures by authorities, VICE News analysis shows. After a hacker leaks what they claim is a portion of stolen information from location data broker Gravy Analytics, Forbes and cybersecurity experts discover some of the data could put the LGBTQ+ community at risk. Though the wild days of dark web sites like Silk Road are long gone, there remain many profitable illicit stores across the internet. Some of the most profitable are now running openly on Telegram, including the one that researchers say is the biggest of all time.
The LAPSUS$ Telegram group is home to hackers who attack governments and tech companies worldwide. Recently investigated LAPSUS$, which also posts content on the dark web, and arrested seven suspects for cyber crimes. While people might try to scrape dark web content and post it in WhatsApp groups, this problem is not as extreme as on Telegram.
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The Hidden Wiki is a Telegram channel with more than 732 members that serves as a directory of links to popular onion sites. Darknet is your best source for the latest hacking tools, hacker news, cyber security best practices, ethical hacking & pen-testing. One of RipperSec’s most notable contributions is MegaMedusa, a NodeJS-based Layer-7 Web DDoS tool developed by a group member. This tool enables users to launch scalable DDoS attacks with minimal technical expertise. MegaMedusa is compatible with Debian, Ubuntu, Kali Linux, Termux, and Windows, making it widely accessible. Using data over the past year from over 1,300 different drug seller listings on the encrypted messaging app in the UK, the average price for a kilo of cocaine fell from £36,000 in April 2022 to just under £29,000 in April 2023.
Telegram quickly emerged as the top choice, thanks to its focus on privacy, encryption, and the ability to create large groups without sharing personal information. In April, 2025, hackers breached Morocco’s National Social Security Fund’s (CNSS) systems, leaking sensitive personal data on Telegram. The agency, which manages pensions and insurance for millions, confirmed that hackers bypassed its security but did not identify those responsible.
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“At the heart of this case is the lack of moderation and co-operation of the platform, in particular in the fight against crimes against children,” said Jean-Michel Bernigaud, the secretary general of French child protection agency Ofmin, on LinkedIn. Not doing enough to police child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is one of the chief allegations from French prosecutors. On Wednesday, the BBC learned that while Telegram does respond to some takedown requests from police and charities, it is not participating in programmes aimed to proactively prevent the spread of images and videos of child sexual abuse. Pavel Durov has been charged for suspected complicity in allowing illicit transactions, drug trafficking, fraud and the spread of child sex abuse images to flourish on his site. The arrest of Telegram’s billionaire chief executive in France has ignited a debate about moderation on his app. Get the latest updates on privacy, plus expert tips, and security guides to up your digital protection game.
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While it might tempt you to visit dark web Telegram groups and channels, understand the risks—phishing, fake NFTs, bogus crypto investment schemes, etc.—and stay away from this content. Users can access this content through the regular Telegram app and become victims of fraud or get in trouble with the law. Best Free Courses posts stolen content from Udemy courses on its Telegram channel.
Discovering The Telegram Channels Of The Dark Web
Since its creation in 2019, vx-underground has gained recognition for hosting one of the largest online malware repositories. Its activity isn’t limited to Telegram—they also operate on Twitter and their official website, where they share information about new security breaches, malware trends, and verified threat reports. However, with millions of Telegram users posting terabytes of content each day, moderation is a herculean process.
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These posts often included guides on manipulating individuals to gain access to restricted information or systems. For example, 13.5% posts provided detailed instructions on impersonation and creating convincing fake profiles to deceive targets. These methods are designed to bypass security measures and exploit human vulnerabilities, making them a crucial part of the cybercriminal toolkit. For instance, 7.2% of the posts offered insights into email spamming techniques, promoting tools like SMTP settings, and cracked email marketing software to facilitate unauthorized mass email campaigns.
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A widely recognized platform in the cybersecurity community, vx-underground is known for its extensive collection of malware samples, research papers, and cybersecurity insights. Often many of these types of attacks as a service type of criminal operations that are sold are still predominantly on dark web forums and marketplaces. For example, rarely has it been seen that the illicit communities on Telegram allow others to buy, sell, or trade other cyberattack methods such RaaS or other attacks as a service.
- The presence of such a channel highlights how stolen financial data circulates within dark web markets, making Telegram an essential tool for cybercriminal activities.
- The Hidden Wiki is a Telegram channel with more than 732 members that serves as a directory of links to popular onion sites.
- Hackers on dark web forums are more commonly known to share more zero-day exploits to other threat actors as well as share with other hackers how to use these exploits to their advantage as well.
- Copyright infringement media and software piracy channels had the largest share of phishing URLs, with 1,507 and 1,110 respectively.
- In Credential Compromise channels, users request specific functionalities or guidance, such as asking for help with setting up tools for phishing.
- Illicit Telegram channels refer to private groups or channels on the popular messaging app Telegram that are operated by threat actors and cybercriminals.
The platform’s allure lies in its security features, while the broad range of criminal activities taking place within it underscores the ongoing challenges of surveillance and regulation. These forums are typically dominated by a small group of experienced members who share a range of illicit resources (Afroz et al., 2013). Consequently, many cybercriminals have turned to alternative platforms such as social media, which provide a more dynamic, decentralized environment for exploiting vast user bases while evading traditional security measures (Elezaj et al., 2021). In Blackhat Resources channels, users frequently engage with the content by providing feedback on the effectiveness of various hacking tools.
They have collaborated with other actors like Anonymous Sudan, launching coordinated DDoS attacks and strategic hacks. NoName057(16) is a clear example of how Telegram continues to serve as a critical tool for hacktivist groups and politically motivated cyber operations, leveraging the platform’s anonymity and ease of communication. Know what hackers know — contact NordStellar professionals to learn how our solutions can help your organization stay ahead of cybercriminals.
- Researchers tracking these groups noted that Telegram’s broadcast and bot features allowed operators to recreate the functionality of darknet forums almost overnight.
- We do not recommend entering too long queries; the query should consist of one to three words, ideally one word.
- However, even with these efforts, countless Telegram dark web groups continue to exist.
- Comments like ”I need a team to use crypter together” illustrate the demand for teamwork and resource sharing, which is essential in complex hacking tasks.
- Elliptic rival Chainalysis had previously said Huione Guarantee had processed as much as $49 billion.
- These corners of the internet, often dominated by malicious actors, allow them the space to coordinate and carry out their illegal activities successfully.
Darkweb Market
That is partly why these groups are often referred to as Telegram’s “dark web” channels. The dark web is the intentionally hidden part of the internet accessible only through specific tools, such as Tor (The Onion Router) browser or the I2P (Invisible Internet Project). It uses encryption to provide anonymity to users, their activities, and hosted websites. While some may consider the dark web and the deep web to be synonyms, the deep web is actually a much broader web class that makes up the majority of the internet, yet isn’t public-facing (for example, found on most search websites) or indexed. The Darknet Telegram Directory is a curated list of links to various darknet channels and groups available on the Telegram platform. The directory provides a comprehensive collection of darknet-related information and resources for those interested in exploring the hidden aspects of the internet.
