DMC: Poor technical support turns Telegram into a hotbed of cybercrime in Iraq
Shafaq News /Telegram's "poor" technical assistance and disregard for Iraqi user reports, according to the Digital Media Centre (DMC), have made it a perfect platform for planning, training, and implementing fraudulent and criminal schemes in the country.
DMC confirmed that it has been monitoring the presence of dozens of Telegram channels dedicated to the development of fraudulent techniques and cyber extortion, as well as the leak of data from Iraqi users and security and government agencies during the last few months. In addition, there are channels that specialize in blackmailing Iraqi women by hacking their accounts and threatening to expose their intimate images, which has resulted in the deaths of several of them and the tarnishing of the reputations of dozens of Iraqi families.
According to the center, Telegram consistently ignores requests to delete breaching channels, and the platform's technical support was uncooperative despite receiving dozens of complaints about the criminal offenses discovered.
DMC further stated that Telegram's lack of response and collaboration is a phenomenon that distinguishes it from other digital platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp, which collaborate with allegations of criminal activity and remove them quickly.
The center emphasized that Telegram's "inaction" in providing technical support and responding to public notifications in Iraq made it easier for criminal groups to advertise and promote their various activities, and that regulatory gaps contributed to the development and acceleration of digital crime skills in Iraq.
DMC called on Telegram to expedite its policy adjustment and cautioned it of the implications of continuing to ignore user notifications against violating channels that breach local and international norms and laws.
