Ever thought, what are the risks of Fake Telegram apps? In January 2021, Telegram surpassed 500 million monthly active users. The instant messaging platform comes with plenty of features, including sharing videos, photos, audio, locations, calling, video calling and more. The app is free to use, and recently, the company launched a Premium version of the app that offers some additional features apart from the basic free features. The premium version includes faster downloads, 4GB file uploads, exclusive stickers, reactions and more.
While that is all about the features, one question that remains the same everywhere is- how safe is the app? Also, you might not be aware, but there are a lot of fake Telegram apps available online that appear just like the original app but have major security issues. In this post, we will talk about the privacy, security issues and risks with the original and fake Telegram apps. So, let’s get started.
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What Are Fake Telegram Apps?
Fake Telegram Apps have grown in popularity recently. These apps appear just like the original app in terms of look and features and, in some cases, offer additional features than the original Telegram. However, when it comes to privacy and security, there are certain risks with the fake Telegram apps, and they might not be what you can trust fully.
We did some research from our end, and here’s what we found out:
Messages are not end-to-end encrypted
First thing first, unlike WhatsApp, your messages are not end-to-end encrypted on fake Telegram apps. This means third parties can access your data and misuse it too. So, think twice before downloading and using these fake apps. Also, we advise you not to share any sensitive information through these apps that might end you up in a critical situation.
Fake Telegram Apps are more prone to hackers
When data is not end-to-end encrypted, this means hackers can easily attack your account. Also, it becomes even easier for hackers to get into your account as the data is server-based and not device-based. Now, that’s concerning!
Transfer of Malware through Fake Telegram Apps
Another concerning thing about the fake Telegram apps is the transfer of malware. The fake Telegram apps have hidden Windows-based “Purple Fox” malware that automatically gets installed on the user’s devices when they install these duplicate apps. The malware can affect the system without getting detected, hence is more dangerous.
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Beware Of These Telegram Scams
While that is about the Fake Telegram Apps, you must know that the original Telegram might not be as safe as you might think it to be. The original app also has some loopholes, and that includes scams. Let us see some of the most common scams that are happening on the app these days.
- Phishing attacks:
This is a very common type of scam that the majority of users might have faced. Here, any random Telegram user can pose as someone you know and trick you into sharing personal information.
2. Telegram bot attacks
Users can create bot accounts on Telegram. Scammers use these accounts to rapidly target vulnerable legitimate accounts for stealing passwords, session cookies, login credentials, and credit card details.
3. Crypto scams
Cryptocurrencies have become massively popular amongst people, and this is what scammers take benefit of. They target Telegram users to get access to their crypto wallets and transfer out their bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum, and other coins.
4. Off-platform scams
The off-platform scam is where anyone sends you a link that takes you to a less-secure site which can be used to steal your personal information or even inject malware into your device.
What Experts Have To Say?
We contacted the Telegram team for some of the most common users queries, and here’s what we found out:
Q. How can we know if a Telegram account is fake? Is there any way to spot fake Telegram apps?
Ans. Any account which is a Public Channel, Group and BOT can be reported to Telegram in case it is illegally impersonating some individual or organization, or sharing illegal/copyrighted content. Users can write to abuse@telegram.org
Q. You might have heard about the scams like crypto scams, telegram bot attacks etc. going on the app. Do you have anything to say about that?
Ans. Telegram cleans BOTs, and other correctly reported accounts as per the guidelines on a regular basis. Irrespective of the scam type, or industry, Telegram is constantly working towards the safety of its users on the platform by removing all the accounts involved in any illegal activities.
Q. How safe are the Telegram secret chats?
Secret chats are meant for people who want more secrecy than the average users. All messages in secret chats use end-to-end encryption. This means only any particular user and the recipient can read those messages — nobody else can decipher them, including us here at Telegram. On top of this, Messages cannot be forwarded from secret chats. And when any user deletes messages on his/her side of the conversation, the app on the other side of the secret chat will be ordered to delete them as well.
Users can order their messages, photos, videos and files to self-destruct in a set amount of time after they have been read or opened by the recipient. The message will then disappear from both their and their friend’s devices. All secret chats in Telegram are device-specific and are not part of the Telegram cloud. This means users can only access messages in a secret chat from their device of origin.
For more information: https://telegram.org/faq#q-how-are-secret-chats-different
Q. If I use fake Telegram apps, will I be blocked from the original Telegram?
Ans. Telegram is an independent platform with its own set of user verification guidelines. For more information, please visit the FAQ section.
Q. What is the company doing to stop or avoid the usage of these fake or Telegram apps?
Ans. We recommend users download and update the Telegram app from official sources such as the Telegram website, Google Play store, or Apple App store only.
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