Identity thieves are having a field day. Thousands of channels and groups on Telegram are peddling stolen identities, perfect for opening bank and investment accounts. Some even offer pre-made bank accounts using stolen details.

One channel, Bank Store Online, brazenly lists accounts at over 60 banks and cryptocurrency exchanges, with prices ranging from $80 for a personal account to $1,800 for a business one. Payments, naturally, are in crypto.

In Russia, where Pavel Durov launched Telegram in 2013, it's the go-to platform for middlemen skirting US sanctions, smuggling in weapons parts, and more.

The Journal previously reported that several groups are hawking drones and Starlinks — those nifty little antennas for Elon Musk's SpaceX satellite internet — to Russian combat units in Ukraine.

Musk, ever the vigilant CEO, tweeted in February that no Starlinks had been sold to Russia, directly or indirectly, to the best of the company's knowledge.

However Evan Kohlmann, founder of Cloudburst Technologies said Telegram was “ground zero for every illicit activity you can think of.”