The Telecommunication Regulator of Cambodia (TRC) has noted a rise in fraudulent messages circulating on the Telegram platform, where scammers are employing a range of methods and forms, including:

• Impersonating well-known public figures, senior government officials, or business leaders by misusing their names and images to promote fraudulent investment schemes, which entice the public with promises of high returns in a short period of time.

• Distributing messages that falsely inform recipients they have won a prize, then requesting personal or financial information in order to claim it.

• Posing as Telegram company by sending threatening messages alleging that the recipient’s account has been hacked or shows irregular activity, and demanding passwords or other sensitive information for verification.

To protect yourself from these scams, the public is advised to carefully check and verify any information received, never share passwords or personal information with others, avoid clicking on suspicious links, and follow Telegram’s security features as outlined below:

• Enable the Two-Step Verification (2FA) feature, which requires users to provide an additional verification step beyond just the phone number and code received to access their Telegram account.

• Use a strong password with at least 8 characters, making it difficult to guess by including numbers, symbols, uppercase, and lowercase letters. Avoid using personal information, do not reuse old passwords, and make sure to change your password regularly.

• Check Active Sessions to review all devices and sessions currently logged into your Telegram account and verify whether there are any suspicious sessions.

• Enable Passcode Lock, which allows you to lock the Telegram app with a secret code to protect access whenever using Telegram on your device.

The TRC urges the public to call 6789 during business hours, email info@trc.gov.kh , or message the official Facebook page “និយ័តករទូរគមនាគមន៍កម្ពុជា - Telecommunication Regulator of Cambodia” for further inquiries or to report issues mentioned above.