Do you want to know about the illegal Telegram groups and channels of the dark web.
The dark web world offers an outlet to trade stolen data, tools, or malware, hold victims of cyber attacks to ransom, and discuss their targets and strategies for cybercriminals. However, the dark web illegal markets are starting to lose their charm because of the Telegram app.
Because of the high privacy standards, the Telegram app attracted many illegal groups to move their platform to Telegram, where they can talk, exchange data, or even sell the leaks they had online, exposing any identity.
So, in this post, we will share 17 illegal Telegram groups, activities you will find in these groups and channels, and why you are a cybercriminal moving to the Telegram app. But let us first know about the connection between the dark web and Telegram.
The Connection Between the Dark Web and Telegram App
The dark web is known as the most dangerous and shady place on the internet. It is really true to some extent, as dealing with illegal drugs and doing illegal activities is very common on the dark web. However, as every picture has two sides, the dark web has them too. It is not about all the illegal stuff; the dark web is also used by political whistle-bowlers, activists, and reporters who may be censored or could risk political relations if exposed by their governments.
The dark web doesn’t come up in search results when searching on search engines like Google, Bing, or Yahoo. It requires you to download the TOR browser. That is why many users of the dark web and the owners of dark websites are now navigating to the Telegram platform. Telegram offers convenience to its users by leveraging anonymity and secret chat features.
The Activities of Illegal Telegram Groups and Channels of Dark Web
The illegal Telegram groups and channels range from selling credit card data or user credentials to others to Russian hacktivist groups sharing their new exploits, recruiting hackers to support their cause, and targeting victims of their attacks.
There are many cyber criminals found on the app because of its popularity and the mass volume of illegal groups and channels. According to reports, the cybercriminals using Telegram are low- to mid-level expert cybercriminals with little to no prior experience.
The illegal Telegram groups and channels operate as a marketplace to sell, including;
- Bank account user data
- Organization data
- Credit card information
- Botnets
- Combolists
- Stealer logs
- Drugs
- Illegal traffic
- How to guides on hacking
17 Illegal Telegram Groups and Channels of the Dark Web
Telegram app lets its users open groups that can hold up to 200,000 members and create a totally anonymous environment aside from texting with groups and individuals. Therefore, Telegram has become a shelter for threat actors across the internet.
Here, we have shared 17 illegal Telegram groups and channels of the dark web.
1: LAPSUS$
It is a famous hacker group with 54K+ subscribers from all over the world. This group shook several administrations and tech companies with their attacks. Recently, LAPSUS$ takedown in the UK and ended up arresting 7 suspects who are aged between 16 to 21. However, two of the suspects are charged with multiple cyber-related crimes. This channel lets them post about their attacks, share leaks, and contact their victims anonymously.
2: The Money Mart
The Money Mart is a financial fraud and carding group with more than 7K members. It is a home to trade Personally identifiable information (PII). In this group, you will get carding, credit card leaks, negotiated bank account data money laundering, and other illegal purposes.
3: KelvinSecurity
KelvinSecurity is one of the most well-known illegal Telegram groups with over 1.4K members. This hacker group discusses, shares data, consults, and makes sure they are up to date with all the latest hacking news, breaches, and vulnerabilities. The members of this group target the financial services, government agencies, management, aviation, casino & gaming, communications, education, energy, health, and transportation.
4: We Leak Database
This Telegram channel has 8K+ subscribers where users share leaked databases. In the We Leak Database channel, personal and organizational sensitive data like business email addresses, login details to different services, credit card details, etc., is leaked or offered for sale on a daily basis. It is extremely accessible and easy to download or buy stolen personal data on Telegram.
5: Perth Ghetto Warriors
It is one of the most famous illegal Telegram groups with 1K plus members. Here, users sell selling all kinds and sorts of drugs. The drug trafficking content was posted on TOR markets. But currently, this type of content has shifted to Telegram groups.
6: /bant/International Random
/bant/International Random is an extremist group with 1K plus members. It is a free space for sharing opinions and inciting racist content against Jews, Muslims, the LGBT community, and several other cultural groups.
7: Breached Data
This Telegram channel has 6K subscribers. In this channel, people share sensitive data leaks like security pins, phone numbers, and passwords. Moreover, the breached data have a VIP channel, too, where people share exclusive data content for their supporters.
8: The Hidden Wiki .onion V3
The Hidden Wiki Telegram channel has over 732 members. Here, people share a directory of links for popular onion sites for the dark web.
9: VulzSec Official
VulzSec is one of well well-known illegal Telegram groups that have 1.7k members. This is a hacktivist channel known for its engagement sites prompted by concerns like police brutality and the treatment of Indian Muslims.
10: DEAD CC LIVE
One of the renowned illegal Telegram groups is Dead CC Live having 3.4K members. It booms with carding of financial fraud and stolen credit card data for online theft of credit card numbers, bank account details, personal data, and illegal activities like money laundering and other illicit activities.
11: BlackForums
It is an active dark web forum that also has an active illegal Telegram channel with 2.3K members. This channel was born out of BleckedSec and the Five Families hackers, which are renowned for sharing cybercriminal activities, particularly ransomware, malware, data breaches, etc.
12: Lulz Security
Most of the cybercriminals are found on the Lulz Security group, which is known for hacktivism. It is based in Indonesia, where people talk about cyberattacks, defacements, and data breaches. In this group, you will find mixed political opinions, a desire for recognition, and an obligation to expose bias via cyberattacks.
13: Moon Cloud
Moon Cloud is known as the most illegal Telegram channel of the dark web. It has 10K plus members where users get data from stealer logs. However, the data available on this channel often includes credentials like email addresses, IP address passwords, user names, and others.
14: RF/RB Bases
It is an active Telegram channel that has more than 260 subscribers. It is based in Russia and serves as a center marketplace of stolen data of individuals and organizations.
15: Null Leaks
It is a Ukrainian-based group that has over 3.900 subscribers. This group discusses leaks and also explains the story. It also has a premium group where all the leaks are shared, and people are encouraged to join this group.
16: W BH (Against the West/BlueHornet)
It is a USA-based Telegram channel that hacks documents, personal data, and data that has a privileged background related to the target organizations, groups, and states. Furthermore, they ruin the dark web hackers of the target states and leak and post their hacker actions on the X accounts and Telegram groups so all the data is accessible easily. This group explains the leaks so that everyone can understand and quickly respond to all the queries as well.
17: STORMOUS RANSOMWARE
The Stormous Ransomware channel shares leaks and data via the dark web for a long time that everyone can access. Since early 2022, this channel has claimed accountability for several attacks. According to research 37 companies had hacked in 2022 via this group.
Why are Cybercriminals Moving to Telegram Groups?
The Telegram messaging app has enhanced privacy and encryption features. The application allows you to subscribe to groups and channels on which owners post content, and all participants discuss topics. However, in 2021, 100 percent of Telegram groups and channels increases that are used by cybercriminals.
But there is a question that arises: why do cybercriminals dramatically rise in Telegram groups. Here’s the factor.
- Better Anonymity: Cybercriminals question how much privacy they get when navigating the dark web, which is simple for administrations to keep an eye on. With the exclusive routing, the IP address is automatically concealed there is a concern about admin monitoring and identity disclosure. However, Telegram lacks traditional administrators overseeing its groups, and private conversations appeal to those seeking anonymity. On the service, threat actors can also conceal their phone numbers.
- Encrypted Communications: When it comes to illegal cybercrime activities concerning about encryption is very important. Telegram app encrypts all messages to avoid man-in-the-middle attacks. It can let someone eavesdrop on communication as they are being sent. Dark web marketplaces, group channels, and forums have encryption options, but threat actors must use privacy to ensure encryption in the dark web.
- Cruel Operations: The Telegram app helps hacking groups and lone wolf actors strengthen their operations. Registering a domain to sell services and tools exposes the threat actor’s operation to spread DDoS: Denial of Services attacks that can take them offline. Telegram groups and channels avoid this requirement for a domain and make sure that the cybercriminals can stay working as long as the Telegram services remain online.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I view private Telegram groups without joining them?
Ans: As per the Telegram services, private channels and groups are closed societies. That is why you have to be added by the owner or get an invite link to join the channels or group. However, you can preview a group for a few minutes but not enter it permanently.
Q: Is Telegram used for illegal activities?
Ans: The Telegram app is a hotbed for criminal activities as it offers reach, privacy, encryption, and anonymity, making it appealing to criminals. It is famous for being used by criminals for various illegal activities, including the sale of illegal goods, hacking, etc.
Q: What is the difference between Telegram groups and channels?
Ans: A Telegram group can have up to 200,000 subscribers, and you can see all members of the group and track how many people view your message. Meanwhile, a channel can have unlimited subscribers, and you can’t see other participants.
Q: Is Telegram part of the dark web?
Ans: No Telegram app is only one of many dark web and deep web marketplaces. Cybercriminals move the stolen frequently between various dark web marketplaces to stay ahead of law enforcement.
Q: Can I see banned illegal Telegram groups?
Ans: Unfortunately, there is no in-built feature in the Telegram app that lets you directly access a group you were banned from.
Q: How to subscribe to illegal Telegram groups?
Ans: To find and subscribe to the illegal telegram groups or channels, navigate to the search option and enter the query you are interested in. for instance, KelvinSecurity. Open the group and click on the subscribe tab to join it.
Wrapping Up
Telegram app would not ever compete with cybercriminal activities existing on underground forums, channels, and groups in terms of scale. However, the app currently continues to be used for fraudulent activities. The ease of use, reliability, encryption, privacy, anonymity, and low barrier to entry makes the Telegram app continue to be used by the cybercriminal communities active on more serious hacking forums.
Well, in this post, we have shared a list of illegal Telegram groups, channels, and activities you will find in this app world. Let us know in the comment box if you know of any other illegal groups and channels.
