Are scam Telegram accounts getting your customers to give up their sensitive information?
Is your brand losing its reputation in the fallout?
Telegram has become a haven of scam accounts, and many brands have partnered with us to take back control.
If you aren’t proactive about taking down scam accounts, your customers could blame you for not doing enough or simply think your brand is unreliable.
Our platform has validated and stopped over 200,000 infringements on Telegram, which shows the scale of the issue. We’ve also seen infringements on the platform increase by 182% since 2022 and 116% in the last quarter alone.
You don’t have to be powerless against scammers and fake accounts on Telegram.
In this guide, we’ll cover how to report a scammer on Telegram and provide tips for protecting your brand.
How to report scams on Telegram
Telegram has an official bot channel called No To Scam which you can use to report any kind of scams discovered on the platform. Below, we’ll show you how you can use the bot on Telegram to report a scammer.
1: Open Telegram
To report a user on Telegram, first open the Telegram app. Note that you need to have a Telegram account to report any account or channel. The website does have a form on its support page to report a Telegram account, but it is for any issue. Reporting a channel or user there for fraud on the app may lead to your message getting lost.
2: Look up @notoscam
Once you are logged into your account, go to the chat section and search for the ‘@notoscam’ bot. The name of the bot is Report Impersonation and it has a verified tick on it as well. You can also use this direct link to access the channel.
3- Start typing on the chat window by tagging the scammer account or channel and then explaining the reason behind the report.
You can also directly report a Telegram scam account or channel by clicking on the three dots on the user profile screen and selecting Report. Choose the reason behind the report and select submit.
How Red Points speeds up telegram scam reporting
It’s nice that Telegram offers a chat option to report scam accounts, but reporting one by one can be tedious. Instead, you can enlist Red Points to put reporting on autopilot.
Red Points uses bot-powered search to locate and report telegram scammers of different types. These may include impersonation infringement through fake Telegram groups, crypto scams, and phishing scams. Our systems continuously improve detection by learning from your takedown history.
Next, we use smart rules to validate which Telegram accounts are actually impersonating your brand. Then, we enforce automatic takedowns to report the Telegram accounts and remove them. You can keep track of success metrics in your dashboard as the platform reports Telegram scammers to protect your brand.
Top 5 telegram scams Red Points detects most frequently
Telegram scams are fraud schemes that either take place on the Telegram app itself or focus on getting users off the app and into a suspicious third-party website, possibly impersonating a business.
Scams on Telegram can range from traditional phishing attacks to sophisticated frauds where bad actors impersonate businesses or genuine customer support agents.
With the range of scam types, it helps to have a partner like Red Points in your corner. Our platform has validated over 200k infringements on Telegram alone, which shows the problem is widespread. Below are the types of Telegram scams we see most often.
1. Fake Telegram groups and channels
Telegram’s ability to support large groups and channels is the reason why most people sign up for the app. But many Telegram scammers have been taking advantage of this feature to create fake accounts/copycat channels and trick users into a false sense of security.
In fact, researchers from Sapienza University of Rome and Temple University of the United States found political figures, public figures, and business services are the main targets of fake groups on Telegram.
These fake channels often look the same as the original ones as the scammers copy everything including admin usernames, pinned messages, and media.
But these fake channels aim to make you click on suspicious links or give up your personal information willingly to hack into your account, gain access to your banking information, or steal your data for identity theft.
2. Telegram crypto scams
Telegram has become a famous messaging platform for cryptocurrency and blockchain enthusiasts, which also motivated scammers to move their operations to the app.
Crypto scams on Telegram involve scammers posing as crypto experts and guaranteeing a return on cryptocurrency investments. These scammers can reach you directly on Telegram or invite you to join their crypto channel by finding you in other popular crypto-based Telegram channels.
They take the time to establish their authority on the subject and build trust before they lure you in with their fake crypto investment schemes.
Scammers on Telegram may also offer free prizes, giveaways, and sweepstakes for different cryptocurrencies. But to receive these free prizes or gifts, users are asked to provide their personal data and banking information, or pay up a ‘small fee.’
In other cases, investors can’t withdraw money. For example, one Reddit user joined a crypto group with 13,000 “members,” (it’s likely most were bots). The user wasn’t able to withdraw money without adding another 10% as a deposit. They complied and still weren’t able to withdraw the initial investment.
3. Telegram phishing scams
Telegram allows businesses to use its bots feature to engage in conversations with end users. Telegram bots use AI and natural language processing to initiate conversations which can make it all the harder for users to identify when they are being scammed.
Scammers use Telegram bots to pose as representatives of banks and other big companies to trick users. There have also been instances where scammers have created bots impersonating tech support or customer support from companies.
The bots then convince users to give up their personal or banking information or login details in the guise of helping them.
As part of its 2023 Business Communications Risk Report, SafeGuard Cyber monitored messages for security risk across multiple platforms. About 42% of flagged messages occurred in WhatsApp, 24% in Telegram, and 17% each in Slack and Teams. The report showed 42% of the messages were flagged for impersonation and 23% for potentially dangerous attachments.
4. Telegram messenger job scams
Another frequent scam on Telegram targets people looking for work. In this scenario, a job seeker receives an email or text from someone posing as a company that wants to hire them. However, the applicant has to create a Telegram account and complete interviews through messaging on the platform.
Once they sign up, the applicant gives away personal information thinking they might find work. However, the scammer simply wants to steal as much information as possible.
Usually, these scams offer rates that are too good to be true for common positions like a customer service representative or administrative assistant. The scammer might pose as a recruiter from a well-known company to add to the legitimacy.
5. Counterfeiting telegram scams
Scammers can also use Telegram channels to sell counterfeits of products. While some scammers explicitly let the customers know what they are getting into, others impersonate brands and sell counterfeit products by claiming they are original. But both of these scenarios can be equally detrimental to a business’s reputation.
Tips for keeping your customers safe from Telegram scams
The rapid growth of infringements on Telegram shows the importance of having proactive protection—we’ve seen an 182% increase in Telegram infringements since 2022. Looking quarter-by-quarter also shows a concerning increase of 116% compared to the last quarter.
Your revenue isn’t the only thing on the line when someone is scammed. Your company’s reputation can also suffer damage when the customer blames you for not doing enough to stop the issue.
You don’t want to wait until multiple scammers are taking advantage of your brand on Telegram. Instead, be proactive by educating your customers, helping them identify fake accounts, and posting regular security updates.
Educate customers on official brand channels
Your customers might not know what your official communication channels are. Telegram scammers might add an emoji to your brand name or use the word “official” to trick customers. To combat this, promote your official channels on each platform you have and periodically share where customers can and can’t communicate with you. If you don’t have a Telegram, you can explain that in your company’s contact information.
Share tips on identifying fake accounts
Teach your customers to identify Telegram scams before they become the next prey. Show how a fake profile differs from yours in the typography, style, photos, usernames, and more. Help them learn what to look for with visuals like side-by-side photos or gifs,
Post regular security updates
Periodically remind your audience that scams are out there, and consider sharing examples when you uncover infringing accounts. Provide updates on what your company is doing to limit scammers and keep customers safe.
What’s next
Telegram’s worldwide presence and ease of use make it a haven for scammers. We’ve seen bad actors use the platform for fake groups, crypto scams, phishing, and more.
You can report any scam account with the @notoscam bot, but manual reporting takes time.
Since Telegram scams have increased so much over recent months, you can make better use of your time by partnering with a brand protection solution like Red Points.
Our platform constantly monitors fake accounts on social media sites like Telegram and automatically enforces against infringements.
You’ll get comprehensive support whether scam Telegram accounts are impersonating your customer service agents or selling fake products.
Connect with one of our experts today to take control of your brand’s reputation on Telegram and refocus your time on business growth.
