Telegram: scammers use the gift marketplace to steal digital assets

Against the background of the active development of the Telegram ecosystem, which includes the digital gift marketplace, fraud cases related to attempts to steal limited gifts from users have become more frequent. A new abuse scenario seen in mid-2025 exploits audience trust in in-game or intra-platform transactions and raises concerns in the digital community.

The essence of the scheme is to manipulate the prices of gifts that are purchased for Telegram stars — a special currency inside the platform. Scammers publish lots with prices that are significantly underestimated in comparison with their market counterparts. When you try to purchase such a gift, the system issues an error notification: "The price has changed. Try again." After several attempts, the user is prompted to go to the description of the gift owner's account, which contains instructions for connecting a business bot with extended rights.

Attackers claim that installing this bot will help solve the problem with "floating" prices. However, in practice, the connected bot gets access to the account and its associated digital assets, including exclusive gifts purchased by the user earlier. After capturing access rights, bots permanently withdraw rare items that cannot be restored through standard Telegram support tools.

The scheme is a modification of already known social engineering mechanisms that use a fake interface of a trusted service, tempting transaction terms, and a call to install a third-party bot. Despite the development of the security infrastructure in Telegram, users are still vulnerable to such manipulations, especially in the environment of digital marketplaces, where the speed of decision-making often exceeds the level of information awareness.

Technically, Telegram provides tools for creating business bots with a flexible permission system. However, the transfer of authority should be carried out with extreme caution, especially if the initiator is an unknown participant or the proposal is accompanied by elements of pressure, urgency or restricted access.

The Telegram digital gift market has attracted significant attention from users, content creators, and entrepreneurs. However, as the current situation shows, with the growing popularity and value of unique digital assets, the risks of their loss as a result of cyber fraud are also growing.

Cybersecurity experts recommend that you refrain from transferring any rights to third-party bots without a clear understanding of their functions, and also check the reputation of sellers, lots, and links leading to additional instructions. Telegram, in turn, continues to improve its fraud reporting system, but in the absence of centralized arbitration, users should rely on personal digital hygiene.