There are a lot of solutions for instant messaging nowadays like Telegram and WhatsApp. These popular apps are regularly targets for hackers. Telegram scams include several type of bots that will steal your account data.
Telegram generally houses more scams related to bots use. There are even hackers who offer their own bots to other delinquents to create new more dangerous software. In this article you will learn more about how to avoid scams in Telegram for better.
Why are bots better for scams in Telegram than phishing?
Hackers tend to use Telegram bots instead of malicious web sites. It’s easier to attract potential victims with a bot rather than a complete phishing website. Bots make everything easier for the hacker because the victim doesn’t need to leave Telegram. A common mistake is to think that Telegram environment is specially safe, as it suffers from threats like any other.
The most common example is a recent scam related to crypto coin investment. They supposedly give you a new token as a present but in fact you are exposing yourself to hackers. You just need to enter the bot and complete the KYC verification. This is a user identity verification method that uses crypto coins. The user has to deposit a certain amount of crypto that goes directly to the hacker’s account and never receives any token back.
However, Telegram bots not only steal cryptos. There are others that invite people to earn money by watching short videos and they are fakes. These Telegram bots for scams are very invasive and continue pestering until you block them. On the other hand, phishing web sites don’t chase you. You just enter the site, browser and then leave. A chat bot in Telegram will bother you even if you talked to it just once. The best option is to block any suspicious bot instantly.
Other common scams in Telegram
Hackers also make use of different tricks to access the victim’s account from the Telegram platform. A very common strategy is a free gift Telegram Premium subscription. The scams sends you a message from a hacked friend account inviting you to access a phishing web site to end the subscription. The website does not exist and you will be exposing your personal account to hackers.
Telegraph is another threat. It’s a tool from Telegram to publish longer texts. Anybody can publish content without previous register and they can try to lure you to phishing websites. There are also lots of AI deepfakes you must be aware of. They tend to hide the phishing website under temporal URLs and they can fake Google Translate sub domains for example.
How to protect your device?
More users are searching for security solutions on Telegram. The best you can do is to suspect everything. Do not take any message for granted if it’s not from your usual contacts. Most bots seem trustworthy but don’t click on any link. Almost any bot that asks for your personal information is a potential threat. Try to use your Telegram account in a safer controlled way.