Tudou Guarantee Marketplace Suspends Telegram Transactions

Key Findings

• Telegram-based illicit marketplace Tudou Guarantee has stopped transactions in its public groups after handling over $12 billion in transactions.

• Tudou Guarantee grew after the closure of the Huione Guarantee marketplace, with many sellers offering stolen data, money laundering services, and scam infrastructure.

• The shutdown of Tudou Guarantee is linked to the collapse of the Prince Group and the arrest of its chairman, Chen Zhi, in connection with a vast investment scam.

• Law enforcement actions have targeted these Telegram-based illicit marketplaces, but experts warn that the vacuum left by Tudou's closure will likely be filled by other similar services.

Background

Tudou Guarantee, a major Telegram-based illicit marketplace in Southeast Asia, has stopped transactions in its public groups after handling over $12 billion in transactions. The marketplace, known as "Potato" in translation, emerged as a leading platform for cyber fraudsters after the closure of the Huione Guarantee marketplace in May 2025.

Tudou Guarantee's Growth and Illicit Services

Following the shutdown of Huione Guarantee by Telegram, many merchants moved to Tudou Guarantee, and the user numbers quickly doubled, with transaction volumes surging. Tudou Guarantee offered a wide range of illicit services, including the sale of stolen personal data, money laundering services, and the provision of ready-made scam platforms and phishing sites. The marketplace also marketed face-swapping, AI voice cloning, and deepfake tools to help scammers trick their victims.

Collapse of Prince Group and Impact on Tudou Guarantee

The shutdown of Tudou Guarantee is closely linked to the collapse of the Prince Group, a Cambodian conglomerate. In October 2025, the U.S. and U.K. sanctioned the Prince Group and its chairman, Chen Zhi, for running scam compounds in Cambodia using forced labor. Following the arrest and extradition of Chen Zhi to China in January 2026, Elliptic recorded a sharp drop in activity in Tudou's main crypto wallets, suggesting a direct impact on the marketplace's operations.

The Ongoing Scam Economy and Law Enforcement Efforts

The closure of Tudou Guarantee is a significant blow to the Southeast Asian scam economy, but experts warn that the vacuum will likely be filled by other similar services. Law enforcement agencies, such as the U.S. government's Scam Center Strike Force, have been working to dismantle these transnational criminal networks and seize their cryptocurrency-related assets. However, the resilience of these illicit marketplaces remains a challenge for authorities.

Sources

• https://securityaffairs.com/187102/cyber-crime/telegram-based-illicit-billionaire-marketplace-tudou-guarantee-stopped-transactions.html

• https://thehackernews.com/2026/01/tudou-guarantee-marketplace-halts.html