March MACA Meeting - Telegram Overview

This presentation provides basic information and practical tips for making sense of Telegram information about users, discussion groups, and cyber fraud. It will examine the role in cybercrime, its technical infrastructure, and its strategic direction. It begins with two criminal case studies: a deceptive children's game used for a cryptocurrency pump-and-dump scam and bad actors distributing ransomware via Telegram. Next, the discussion shifts to Telegram’s core developers, key partnerships, and their role in expanding business capabilities. Finally, it assesses the impact of Pavel Durov’s (Founder of Telegram) arrest and Telegram’s push into the U.S. market.