Illicit Telegram Escrow Service Appears to Shut Down After $130M Refunds

[johnblockbuster]

A Telegram-based escrow service tied to an illicit online marketplace appears to be winding down after refunding more than $130 million in stablecoins. The service, Tudou Guarantee, linked to the Cambodia-based Huione Group, has reportedly returned large sums of Tether USDt to public merchants since the start of 2026, according to data from Bitrace.

Refund activity began modestly on Jan. 1 before surging to over $18 million in a single day, signaling an accelerated wind-down. Screenshots shared by Bitrace suggest Tudou Guarantee announced the shutdown via its Telegram channel, potentially marking the end of one of the most prominent escrow hubs used by crypto-linked scam operations.

[madmax]

$130m in refunds is insane, didn’t think these ops ever actually unwind