Inside India’s Cyber‑Crime Fight: How Scammers Turn Telegram Into a Fraud Factory

When the Indian government slapped a six‑day ban on Telegram in mid‑June 2026, most people assumed it was a blunt‑force reaction to a single cheating scandal. The ban, imposed from 16 to 22 June after the National Testing Agency (NTA) warned that the messaging app was being used to circulate leaked NEET exam papers, quickly turned into a case study of how a globally popular platform can become a playground for scammers.

Telegram, with its promise of privacy, massive group sizes and a seemingly endless catalogue of bots, is a double‑edged sword. In India alone, the company claims about 150 million active users – a number that includes students, small‑business owners, and, inevitably, a whole shadow economy of fraudsters.

“What we see is Telegram acting as a command‑and‑control hub, a marketplace and a phishing gateway all at once,” says Shobhit Mishra, threat‑intelligence researcher at the cybersecurity firm CloudSEK. Mishra explains that the platform’s searchable public channels let scammers broadcast fake job offers, exam‑answer services or investment tips to anyone with a few clicks.

For law‑enforcement officers, the challenge is not just finding a single bad actor but untangling an entire network that moves fluidly between WhatsApp, Facebook and, finally, Telegram. Shubham Singh, a cybersecurity expert who works closely with Indian police, describes a typical recruitment flow: a victim receives a polished advertisement on WhatsApp, clicks a link, and is ushered into a Telegram group where a “receptionist” bot greets them. From there, a self‑styled “teacher” or “mentor” offers entry fees, study material or “guaranteed” results – all for cash.

One such victim, who asked to be called Ananya to protect her identity, is a 24‑year‑old from Maharashtra. She says she was lured in by an advertisement promising guaranteed NEET results for a modest fee. After joining a Telegram channel, she was asked to pay ₹12,000 in three installments. The “teacher” vanished once the money was transferred, leaving Ananya with no paper and a shaken trust.

Rahil Shaikh, a cyber‑crime investigator with the Maharashtra Police, acknowledges that the platform’s legitimate uses complicate enforcement. “Telegram is a lifeline for many small businesses and students, especially in remote areas. Shutting it down entirely would hurt far more people than it would help,” he notes, pointing out that the temporary ban caused genuine communication breakdowns for thousands of users.

International perspectives echo the same dilemma. Edmund Goh, head of INTERPOL’s Asia‑and‑South‑Pacific Cybercrime Operations Desk, warns that outright bans are rarely a long‑term solution. “Criminals simply migrate to the next platform,” he says, citing past bans on WhatsApp and WeChat that produced only short‑lived disruptions.

Data from 2025 shows Telegram removed more than 43.5 million channels and groups deemed malicious, according to the company’s own disclosures – a figure corroborated, though not independently verified, by security‑research firm Check Point. Still, the sheer scale of the platform means that many illicit channels slip through the cracks.

In response, Indian authorities have begun a multi‑pronged approach: real‑time monitoring of suspicious groups, coordinated sting operations, and public awareness drives. The National Testing Agency, after the NEET leak scare, urged schools and coaching centres to educate students about the dangers of online scams. Meanwhile, the New Delhi court upheld the June ban, labeling it “reasonable and necessary” in the face of organized cheating rings.

Industry advocates like Andrei Skorobogatov, director of communications at the Global Anti‑Scam Alliance (GASA), argue that cooperation—not confrontation—holds the key. “Platforms must provide timely data to investigators while respecting user privacy,” he says, emphasizing that transparency can curb fraud without stifling legitimate communication.

For the average Indian internet user, the takeaway is cautionary. Before clicking that glossy offer on WhatsApp, verify the source, look for independent reviews, and remember that genuine educational content rarely demands large upfront payments via Telegram. As the cyber‑crime ecosystem evolves, vigilance remains the most reliable defence.