Kathmandu. Hackers claiming to be in control of more than 40,000 mobile numbers in Nepal have been found to be distributing those numbers and the authentication codes (OTPs) that come with them through Telegram without authorization.

According to a study conducted by cybersecurity researcher Manoj Bhatta, there is a risk of opening fake accounts on social media and using them for potential financial fraud by providing a list of Nepali mobile numbers through Telegram bots and various groups.

During the investigation, a bot running on Telegram found thousands of Nepali mobile numbers listed when selecting Nepal under the ‘Country List’. In addition, files containing 1,000 to 5,000 Nepali mobile numbers are regularly uploaded every week in 4-5 different Telegram groups. “A recent file alone contained around 3,000 phone numbers, including numbers from both Nepal Telecom and Ncell,” the report said.