Late Monday, OpenAI’s official press account on X (formerly Twitter) was hacked, spreading false claims about a new cryptocurrency called “$OPENAI.” The hackers posted about a fake OpenAI-branded token, urging users to claim them from the initial supply by connecting their wallets to a phishing website.
According to Bloomberg, the post, filled with errors like calling it “$OPEANAI” instead of “$OPENAI,” promised early access to future OpenAI beta programs for anyone holding the token. However, $OPENAI doesn’t exist, and the phishing site used a misleading URL, “token-openai.com,” to trick users into revealing their wallet credentials.
Despite the obvious scam, the post, along with follow-up replies, remained active, with comments disabled to make the hack less noticeable. OpenAI hasn’t responded to inquiries at the time of this report.
Anonymous sources have also revealed that an OpenAI security staff member posted an internal memo to employees prior to the press account incident, warning them about an increase in recent account takeovers involving OpenAI employees and sharing a guide on how to secure their accounts.
This isn’t the first time OpenAI-related accounts have been compromised. In June 2023, OpenAI CTO Mira Murati’s X account was hacked, spreading a similar fake token scam. Other OpenAI employees have also fallen victim to similar attacks in recent months.
Cryptocurrency scams are on the rise. According to the FBI, Americans lost $5.6 billion to such scams in 2023, with that number expected to increase in 2024.
If you see any suspicious links, avoid interacting with them and report them immediately to prevent falling for these scams.
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