• We started an Official_TorGuard Telegram Channel in October '22 so Iranians could buy VPN service
• Telegram channel "VPNClub" re-sold fake TorGuard accounts ripping off users and generating thousands of complaints to Telegram per week. (He made 50K+ while doing it)
• After eight months of inaction by Telegram and tens of thousands of user complaints to Telegram, legal requests, emails, tweets, we had enough.
• On April 17th, 2023, TorGuard deleted our Telegram channel. Four days later, on April 21st, 2023, TorGuard's Telegram channel was restored (without our authorization) and given to the VPNClub owner.
• VPNClub channel owner Moslem Motaghi began ripping off Telegram users with the (former) Official_TorGuard Telegram channel, again stealing their money and laughing while doing it.
• TorGuard's numerous attempts to resolve the issue with Telegram were ignored, despite presenting substantial evidence. We never once received any reply from Telegram.
• A surprise twist: an insider from VPNClub reached out, took back control of the TorGuard channel/bot, and provided detailed instructions about a secretive Telegram bot used to communicate with Telegram employees.
• The TorGuard CEO, pretending to be Moslem Motaghi, followed the instructions and successfully contacted a Telegram employee, Zheka, who acknowledged their involvement in restoring TorGuard's channel, and deleting VPNClub abuse reports (for monthly payment)
• Evidence was provided by Zheka, confirming they had an insider-level access to Telegram, identifying hidden details not visible to normal users: channel admin usernames, account history, telegram wallet balance, and more.
• Zheka discovered it was the TorGuard CEO, not Moslem Motaghi, offered bribes to TorGuard to forget the incident and also offered additional privileges like access to banned usernames.
• In parallel, Moslem Motaghi reached out, proposing that TorGuard pay him $2K per month in exchange for him to stop selling TorGuard VPN. (such a bad deal)
Can you trust the Telegram service?
After this experience we do not trust Telegram. The company phone with Telegram installed stays in a Faraday bag and only sees the light of day for a few minutes at a time.