Powerful criminal networks in Southeast Asia extensively use the messaging app Telegram which has enabled a fundamental change in the way organised crime can conduct large-scale illicit activity, the United Nations said in a report on Monday.

Telegram has become a hotbed for Southeast Asian criminal networks, facilitating the sale of hacked data, malware distribution, and unregulated cryptocurrency exchanges, according to a UN report exposing

The United Nations warns that criminal gangs in Southeast Asia are using Telegram to sell your data, buy malware, or obtain deepfake software.