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Telegram announces 11 new features to boost messaging

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Users can also access Similar Channels from a channel’s profile…reports Asian Lite News

Encrypted messaging platform Telegram has rolled out 11 new features to enrich communication for over 800 million of its monthly active users.

To simplify channel discovery, users now have access to a list of similar public channels upon joining a channel. This feature is driven by automatic selection based on similarities in subscriber bases, making it easier for users to find content aligned with their interests, the company said in an update.

Users can also access Similar Channels from a channel’s profile.

“Users now have the power to amplify the reach of stories from friends and favourite channels with just two taps. The option to add extra content such as text, audio, or video comments enhances the storytelling experience. Reposting is restricted to stories visible to ‘Everyone,’ ensuring privacy protection,” said Telegram.

When posting a story, you can now add a video message to supply commentary or simply make a face. These messages can be resized, moved around the screen, and placed along the time axis, providing limitless creative possibilities for users to express themselves

Telegram Premium users now have access to even more customisation options such as “Profile Colours” which allows users to set a unique colour combination with logos for their profiles.

While anyone can set custom wallpapers for individual chats, Premium users can now extend their personalisation to both sides of the conversation.

“The voice-to-text feature, once exclusive to Premium users, is now available to all users. With the ability to convert up to 2 messages per week into text, this feature facilitates quick understanding of audio content or even translation in different languages,” Telegram informed.

Channels with story-posting capabilities can now access detailed statistics, including views, shares, and reactions.

“Channel admins now have a revamped interface for managing reactions. Channels can include custom emoji in addition to standard reactions, allowing for a more personalized and engaging user experience,” said the company.

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Hackers using Telegram bot to pull off large-scale phishing scams

Fraudsters get creative, come up with newer ways to dupe people. (Photo:Unsplash)

Neanderthals, a group of threat actors, have managed to present themselves as a legitimate company, enabling them to function within a structured framework…reports Asian Lite News

Threat actors are using a malicious Telegram bot called “Telekopye” to pull off large-scale phishing scams, a new report has said.

According to security researcher Radek Jizba from ESETResearch, Telekopye is a highly sophisticated tool that allows criminals to create convincing phishing websites, emails, SMS messages, and more.

Neanderthals, a group of threat actors, have managed to present themselves as a legitimate company, enabling them to function within a structured framework.

Aspiring members are recruited through underground forums and are granted access to specific Telegram channels, where they can communicate with other members and monitor ongoing operations.

The Neanderthals’ ultimate goal is to commit one of three types of scams — seller, buyer, or refund.

Seller scams involve duping unsuspecting victims, dubbed Mammoths, into buying nonexistent items. Buyer scams involve Neanderthals impersonating buyers in order to trick merchants (also known as Mammoths) into disclosing financial information.

Refund scams occur when Neanderthals mislead Mammoths into believing they are offering a refund only to deduct the same amount of money again, the report showed.

The Neanderthals use a variety of strategies to carry out these scams successfully. When attempting a seller scam, for example, they prepare additional photos of the non-existent item in case the Mammoths request more information. They also manipulate internet images to make reverse image searches more difficult.

Buyer scams necessitate careful planning and research. The Neanderthals choose their targets based on factors such as gender, age, experience in online marketplaces, ratings, reviews, completed trades, and the type of items they sell, which allows them to tailor their approach and increase the chances of success, the report said.

In order to entice Mammoths, the Neanderthals also engage in real estate fraud, creating fictitious apartment listings.

They remain anonymous by using VPNs, proxies, and TOR, making it difficult for authorities to track them down.

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Telegram rolls out story feature on its platform

Telegram Messenger. (Photo: Twitter/@telegram)

Telegram has raised $210 million from several investors via bond sales. The investors include its founder and CEO Pavel Durov…reports Asian Lite News

Encrypted messaging platform Telegram on Friday announced the roll-out of a new Story feature on its platform.

The new feature will allow premium users of the app to post stories that can be seen by the audience of their choice, including non-premium users.

The Story feature is now available in the latest version of Telegram for Android, iOS, and Desktop. The new feature will appear at the top of the screen, right above the global chat search, which will allow users to share photos, videos, and text that disappear after 6, 12, 24 or 48 hours, or can be set to remain permanently on the user’s profile.

Users can separately choose people who can see the story. Telegram’s Stories will also support dual camera functionality, enabling users to capture photos and videos simultaneously with both the front and rear cameras.

Moreover, premium users can add more features to their stories, such as animated stickers, polls, and quizzes, allowing premium users to create more engaging and interactive stories.

Meanwhile, Telegram has raised $210 million from several investors via bond sales. The investors include its founder and CEO Pavel Durov.

John Hyman, Telegram Chief Investment Adviser, told TechCrunch that the platform raised the capital by issuing bonds worth $270 million because “interest rates have gone up significantly since 2021, the bonds have a different issue price”.

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