Crypto scammers hack OpenAI’s account on X, spam timeline with posts on 'launch' of fake alt coin

OpenAI’s official press account on X has been compromised in a hacking incident, with cryptocurrency scammers seizing control to spread fraudulent content. The affected account, named OpenAI Newsroom, was initially established to disseminate updates about the company’s products and policies.

On Monday afternoon, the hacked account began posting deceptive messages about a fictitious OpenAI-branded blockchain token called “$OPENAI.” The post falsely claimed that OpenAI was introducing this new cryptocurrency, promising users a share of the token’s initial supply. It also misleadingly suggested that holding $OPENAI would grant access to future beta programs from OpenAI.

However, the $OPENAI token does not exist. The post included a link to a phishing website designed to mimic the official OpenAI site, although the URL “token-openai.com” was noticeably incorrect. The fraudulent site encouraged users to connect their cryptocurrency wallets through a prominent “CLAIM $OPENAI” button, likely with the intent of stealing users’ login credentials.

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At the time of reporting, the fraudulent post and phishing website were still active. The post had been reposted, with a reply promising more information about the token later in the week. To make the scam less detectable, comments on the malicious post were disabled, making it harder for unsuspecting users to realise the account had been compromised.

This is not the first instance of phishing scams targeting OpenAI-related accounts. In June 2023, the X account of OpenAI’s CTO, Mira Murati, was similarly hacked, with scammers promoting the same fictional $OPENAI token. Just three months ago, the X accounts of OpenAI’s chief scientist, Jakub Pachocki, and researcher, Jason Wei, were also compromised to spread identical scam posts.

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Hacking incidents of this nature are becoming increasingly common, especially among high-profile X accounts belonging to tech companies and celebrities. In a well-known case from 2020, hackers targeted accounts of prominent figures and companies, including Apple, Elon Musk, and Joe Biden, to promote a Bitcoin scam, falsely claiming that any payments made to a provided Bitcoin wallet would be doubled and returned.

Cryptocurrency scams have emerged as a serious financial threat, with Americans losing $5.6 billion to such schemes in 2023, marking a 45 per cent increase from the previous year. The FBI has warned that 2024 is on track to be equally, if not more, severe, with over 50,000 scams reported in the first half of the year, costing consumers nearly $2.5 billion, according to the FTC.