Best Online Tools for Telegram Investigations

Telegram is one of the best places to look for people and information in open-source investigations

Telegram is a popular messenger with a low level of moderation which makes it a great source of information for investigators. The messenger has more than 1 billion downloads and 550 million people use it monthly. Bad actors and hate groups use the service at an increasing speed. Telegram has a thriving marketplace for drugs, fake documents, illegal goods, or money mules.

The service has groups with up to 200,000 members and they can be private or public. Channels have an unlimited number of subscribers and are often used for broadcasting. Users can also see people nearby with their names, photos, and distances as well as local groups.

Public channels and groups are searchable through Telegram search itself, Google, or OSINT tools available online. Channels also have a search in them via keywords or hashtags. Although the majority of users have a mobile version, Telegram has a desktop option which is much more convenient for online investigations.