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Comprehensive Analysis of Five Major Tools + Practical Tutorial Guide

Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) has become increasingly recognized as a "sharp tool" in fields such as information warfare, business analysis, cybersecurity investigations, and anti-fraud efforts, familiar to intelligence analysts, journalists, researchers, and even ordinary internet users. In this age of information explosion, Telegram has become an important source of information, especially in areas such as the Russia-Ukraine war, underground markets, leaked data, and political dynamics, where its significance cannot be overlooked.

So, how can we efficiently, systematically, and deeply search for publicly available intelligence information on Telegram? This article will focus on five powerful and practical Telegram search tools, analyzing their functions, usage methods, combination techniques, and real-world application scenarios step by step, helping you become an OSINT search expert!

1. Why Search Telegram?#

Telegram is an encrypted communication platform, but its "public channel" feature is a treasure trove for OSINT. Many organizations, hackers, underground merchants, and even government sources use Telegram to publish content. Compared to platforms like Twitter and Facebook, Telegram's coexistence of "closure" and "openness" makes it one of the preferred platforms for investigators to track targets and discover clues.

2. Introduction to Core Search Tools#

Here, we will focus on five tools that can be used for Telegram searches, all of which are invaluable assets in OSINT practice.

1. Lyzem Telegram Search#

Features:

• Search channels, groups, users, and bots;

• Supports keyword and language filtering;

• Provides channel analysis data (such as subscriber count, activity level, etc.);

• Can be used to discover target activity ranges or information diffusion paths.

Usage Tutorial:

1. Open the website: https://lyzem.com/

2. Enter keywords in the search bar (e.g., "Ukraine Drone"), and select language filters if desired;

3. Click on search results to view channel/group summaries and recent activity;

4. Assess whether the channel is worth following based on its size and content activity.

Application Case:
While tracking the activities of a suspected scam organization, I entered the keyword "Crypto Scam" and found several channels promoting investment scams. By analyzing their posting times and interaction frequencies, I further pinpointed their target audience and funding flow routes.

2. Google Custom Telegram Search#

Features:

• Utilizes Google Custom Search Engine to index public channel content on Telegram;

• Provides more accurate search results and supports advanced search syntax;

• Allows batch querying of keywords, works better when combined with Google Dork.

Usage Tutorial:

1. Open the link: https://cse.google.com/cse?&cx=006368593537057042503:efxu7xprihg#gsc.tab=0

2. Enter keywords, such as bitcoin scam site:telegram.org;

3. View the Telegram page results returned by Google (usually channel or post links);

4. Combine search syntax like "telegram.org" AND "leak" for more precise targeting.

Usage Tips:

• Combine with Google Dork, for example: "giveaway" site:t.me

• Can be used to locate information published within a specific time frame, paired with Google’s time filtering feature.

3. TGStat.ru International Version Search#

Features:

• Provides statistical data and analysis of Telegram channels;

• Allows filtering by channel categories (e.g., technology, news, hacking, adult, etc.);

• Supports multilingual interface, with frequent information updates;

• Offers recent posts, subscriber counts, growth curves, and other intelligence.

Usage Tutorial:

1. Visit the website: https://tgstat.ru/en/search

2. Enter keywords, with options to filter by language, region, and category;

3. View channel details, post content, and data charts;

4. Also check the channel's associations on other social platforms.

Real Investigation Use:
While analyzing the information diffusion path of a political organization, the "active user time distribution" and "most mentioned channels" features provided by TGStat helped me further expand the intelligence scope.

4. TelegramChannels.me#

Features:

• Channel index library, meticulously categorized;

• Sort by country, language, and activity level;

• Each channel has a basic introduction, subscription link, and tags.

Usage Tutorial:

1. Visit the website: https://telegramchannels.me/

2. Browse or search for keywords;

3. Select specific tags (e.g., "Leaks", "Hack", "Politics") to filter results;

4. Click on the channel title to jump to Telegram to join or view content.

Usage Suggestions:
Suitable for preliminary exploration of the Telegram ecosystem under a specific theme. For example, if you want to systematically study the information warfare landscape of the "Ukraine War," you can analyze the channel distribution of each faction by category.

5. Search.buzz.im#

Features:

• Focuses on content search within Telegram;

• Supports searching public channel and group content;

• Fast update speed, results include timelines and context;

• UI is lightweight and intuitive, suitable for quick searches.

Usage Tutorial:

1. Open the website: https://search.buzz.im/

2. Enter keywords (supports both Chinese and English);

3. View the results page, which includes brief preview content;

4. Quickly locate the first occurrence time of a specific sensitive information.

3. How to Combine These Tools?#

To maximize search effectiveness, you can chain these tools together to form an efficient intelligence collection workflow:

Recommended Intelligence Collection Workflow:#

Problem -> Initial Keyword Screening -> TelegramChannels.me Initial Ecosystem Exploration
     -> Lyzem Precise Location of Active Channels -> TGStat Data Analysis
     -> Search.buzz.im or Google Custom Search Deep Content Extraction

Example: Investigating "Financial Scam Groups on Telegram"#

1. Keyword Determination: "crypto scam", "investment fraud"

2. Use TelegramChannels.me to search channels → Obtain initial list

3. Use Lyzem to check activity status, join dates, and admin information

4. TGStat analyzes whether there are subscription growth anomalies (manipulation traces)

5. Buzz.im checks if there are contents like "payment address", "wallet screenshots" within the channel

6. Use Google Custom Search to specifically check if a certain wallet address appears in other channels

4. Usage Tips and Precautions#

1. Make good use of keyword combinations: such as "leak + email", "recruitment + hacker", etc.;

2. Pay attention to channel activity curves: TGStat's data can help identify "zombie channels";

3. Inter-channel citation mapping: TGStat or Lyzem can help you expand from one point to the entire network;

4. Don't just scratch the surface: Deep dive into channel historical content to find correlating evidence;

5. Be mindful of privacy and compliance: OSINT is legal public intelligence, but it must also comply with local laws.

5. Conclusion: Telegram is a Treasure Trove for OSINT#

By using these five tools in combination, we can quickly and systematically build a powerful intelligence analysis system on Telegram. Whether you are tracking hacker activities, investigating fraud cases, or monitoring political dynamics, they will be essential components of your OSINT toolbox.

📌 Tool Overview:

• Lyzem Search: https://lyzem.com/

• Google Custom Search: https://cse.google.com/cse?&cx=006368593537057042503:efxu7xprihg#gsc.tab=0

• TGStat: https://tgstat.ru/en/search

• TelegramChannels.me: https://telegramchannels.me/

• Buzz.im Search: https://search.buzz.im/

OSINT Exploration Tools and Strategies on Telegram

      The intuitive interface of Telegram makes the application easy to use and browse, but finding relevant groups and channels can still be challenging at times. To overcome this challenge, we have highlighted several OSINT tools and techniques that are extremely useful during investigations. These resources are designed to help users effectively discover and utilize the rich information resources on Telegram.

• Lyzem  #

Lyzem is a dedicated search engine designed for Telegram, allowing users to search for conversations containing keywords. It also helps analysts uncover public channels, users, and groups, making it particularly useful for corporate analysts whose organizations prohibit them from creating accounts on the platform.

Website link: https://www.lyzem.com/

• Geogramint #

     Geogramint is an OSINT software tool that uses the Telegram API to identify nearby users and groups, inspired by the now-discontinued Tejado's Telegram Nearby Map. Geogramint aims to improve the original concept by providing a more user-friendly experience. However, it can only identify Telegram users and groups that have activated the "Nearby" feature. This software is fully supported on Windows and partially supported on Mac OS and Linux distributions. This tool can roam globally to scrape nearby friends and group data.#

Website link: https://github.com/Alb-310/Geogramint

• Bellingcat Telegram Phone Number Checker #

     The Telegram phone number checker feature allows users to verify whether a specific phone number is associated with a Telegram account. While this seems straightforward, verifying a phone number requires an active Telegram account, which can pose challenges for OSINT analysts, as it may link a virtual identity to an individual and their company. Therefore, it is recommended to use a disposable SIM card to receive verification codes and to follow other tools and techniques for conducting OSINT investigations on Telegram securely.

Website link: https://github.com/bellingcat/telegram-phone-number-checker

• Telegram DB#

      Telegram DB is an OSINT software tool that allows analysts to search for groups, channels, and their members. Through the Telegram DB bot, analysts can use the database to search for all public groups a user has visited. Additionally, this bot also serves as a search engine. This feature means you can search by filtering groups and channels, yielding more results than standard Telegram searches.  

https://t.me/tgdb_bot

• Telegram Channels #

     Telegram Channels or Tlgrm.eu/channels provides users with the most comprehensive directory of channels on the Telegram platform. You simply enter the name of the group you are interested in or related keywords. If Tlgrm.eu has indexed that page, relevant results will be displayed. This feature greatly facilitates users in quickly finding the content they need among a vast array of channels.

https://tlgrm.eu/channels
https://telegramchannels.me/

• Telegago #

      Telegago is a Google-based Telegram OSINT software tool. Analysts can easily and quickly search for private groups and channels. The best feature? The search engine is located within the Messenger, so there's no need to open another browser.  

https://cse.google.com/cse?&cx=006368593537057042503:efxu7xprihg#gsc.tab=0

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