A leaked national medical entrance exam in India put Telegram at the center of a major controversy. Authorities temporarily banned the app in June, citing its use by cheating rings. The platform later challenged the ban in court.
Cybersecurity experts say Telegram has become a critical tool for criminal networks. Its features-large groups, anonymous accounts, and bots-facilitate everything from exam paper leaks to large-scale financial scams.
Victims are often lured from other platforms like WhatsApp into Telegram groups. One scheme began with fake job offers for writing reviews, then shifted to coordinated investment fraud. Victims report losing money with little recourse, as investigators struggle to trace funds through mule accounts and cryptocurrency.
Indian police say banning the app is not the solution, as millions of legitimate users, especially students, depend on it. Telegram states it actively fights misuse and removed over 43 million channels and groups in 2025.
International law enforcement officials, including from INTERPOL, warn that platform-level actions only displace criminals. They advocate for a broader ecosystem response involving public awareness, rapid financial coordination, and cross-border cooperation.