Pavel Durov has vowed sweeping bans across the platform | Credit: CCN (Sora)
Share
Key Takeaways
Recent reports show a sharp rise in coordinated fraud on Telegram in 2025.
Pavel Durov has pledged sweeping channel bans for doxing, extortion, and blackmail.
Critics say Telegram’s moderation is too lax, prompting restrictions in Russia and ongoing legal scrutiny globally.
Reports of online fraud are mounting in 2025, with fresh investigations revealing that Telegram, one of the world’s most popular messaging platforms, has become a hotspot for coordinated scam operations.
The troubling reports have caught the attention of Telegram’s founder, Pavel Durov, who this week vowed sweeping bans across the platform.
Try Our Recommended Crypto Exchanges
Sponsored
Disclosure
We sometimes use affiliate links in our content, when clicking on those we might receive a commission at no extra cost to you. By using this website you agree to our terms and conditions and privacy policy.
In recent weeks, several mainstream outlets have reported on the rise of fraudulent groups exploiting Telegram to peddle fake job offers, lure victims into “task scams,” and extract sensitive personal information.
Consumer watchdog Which said on Aug. 7 that it had identified two active scam groups on Telegram.
The first, with 54 members, posed as a recruitment agency claiming to work with the fast-fashion retailer Shein to promote TikTok posts.
Prospective recruits were told that “no experience is required” and that they could earn between €90 and €300 a day simply by liking posts and sending screenshots as proof.
Credit: Which?
The second, with over 100 members, offered bogus film review work for the IMDb database, promising daily rewards as high as €800 for rating nominated films.
In both cases, victims were initially shown small payouts to build trust before being pressured to pay fees to “unlock” more lucrative tasks, funds they would never see again.
According to Which, reports of recruitment scams to Action Fraud, the national fraud reporting center in Britain, have doubled in the last two years.
Pavel Durov Promises Bans
On Monday, Durov posted on Telegram that users had sent his team “hundreds of reports about scams and blackmail.”
“Based on these reports, this week we’re banning numerous channels for doxing and extortion,” he said.
The founder stated that a ban would only be enforced if there was “undeniable evidence that a channel’s admins published defamatory posts, then deleted them in exchange for payment from victims.”
“Some have even been caught selling so-called ‘protection blocks,’ fees victims must pay to avoid being targeted,” he wrote.
In a final warning, Durov said that Telegram is not a place for doxing or blackmail.
“And to those running such channels: don’t waste your time creating clones — we’ll find you,” he wrote.
Telegram and Safety
Telegram has frequently been criticized for not doing enough to curb misuse by criminal users.
In Russia, regulators have accused the app of undermining national security by failing to curb fraud and other illicit activities facilitated through its encrypted messaging infrastructure.
Recently, Moscow imposed restrictions on Telegram’s voice call services, citing the platform’s non-compliance with legal requests tied to fraud and terrorism investigations.
While messaging remains available, calls have been severely disrupted since August 11, 2025, as part of Moscow’s broader push for “digital sovereignty” and a move away from foreign tech platforms.
In a statement, Telegram said that it “actively combats misuse of its platform, including calls for sabotage or violence, as well as fraud,” and removes “millions of pieces of harmful content every day.”
Frustrations over Telegram’s “soft moderation” reached a flashpoint in August 2024 when Durov was arrested by French authorities, accused of enabling criminal activity on his platform.
In the aftermath, Telegram has continued to face mounting legal pressure.
Investigations revealed that law enforcement had repeatedly made demands for data or cooperation, which, according to sources, went unanswered.
Maylis de Roeck, a spokesperson for the French prosecutor’s office, said: “If it was one, we wouldn’t think anything about Telegram.”
However, she noted: “It’s not just once… It was thousands of times.”
Kurt Robson is a London-based reporter at CCN, specialising in the fast-moving worlds of crypto and emerging technology. He began his career covering local news in Cornwall after graduating from Falmouth University with First Class Honours in Journalism. There, he cut his teeth on everything from council meetings to missing swans.
He quickly rose through the ranks to become a frontline journalist at several of the UK’s leading national newspapers. Over the years, he has interviewed musicians and celebrities, reported from courtrooms and crime scenes, and secured multiple front-page exclusives.
Following the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kurt shifted his focus to technology journalism—just ahead of the AI boom. With a natural curiosity and a trained eye for emerging trends, he has found a new rhythm in reporting on innovation.
At CCN, Kurt's work focuses on the cutting edge of crypto, blockchain, AI, and the evolving digital world. Drawing on his background in people-first reporting and his deep interest in disruptive tech, Kurt delivers stories that are insightful, entertaining, and human-centric.
