OpenAI’s official press account on X (formerly Twitter) was compromised by cryptocurrency scammers who used the account to promote a fake blockchain token named “$OPENAI.” The hack is the most recent in a string of attacks on the company’s executives’ social media accounts, stirring up important worries about the protection of high-profile profiles.
Last Monday afternoon, the breach happened as the @OpenAINewsroom account, just established by OpenAI to announce and discuss product and policy developments, released a report about the hypothetical $OPENAI token. The statement noted that this token was supposed to connect AI and blockchain technology, drawing in users of OpenAI to participate in the first issuance of the token. Besides, the piece dishonestly claimed that holding $OPENAI would admit one to upcoming beta opportunities.
The post directed users to a phishing site disguised as a legitimate OpenAI webpage, but with a conspicuously incorrect URL, “token-openai.com.” The site featured a prominent “CLAIM $OPENAI” button, encouraging visitors to connect their cryptocurrency wallets—a step likely intended to steal users’ login credentials and drain their crypto assets. Furthering the fraudulent act, the hackers silenced comments on the deceitful X post, making it harder to realize that the account had been compromised.
And the funny thing is, the $OPENAI token does NOT exist. But this isn’t the first time scammers have aimed their sights at accounts linked to OpenAI. In June of 2023, OpenAI’s Chief Technology Officer, Mira Murati, also faced a similar account takeover on X, which was leveraged to endorse the very same fictitious $OPENAI token. Just a short time later, the accounts of Jakub Pachocki, OpenAI’s chief scientist, and researcher Jason Wei were hacked and used for almost identical scams. These incidents are part of a rising trend in which X accounts of tech companies and celebrities experience hacks used to advance crypto scams, often leading to significant financial losses for clueless users.
OpenAI confirmed the hack and has started an investigation. The fraudulent posts were displayed for about an hour and then deleted; the account is now back to normal. Still, the phishing site included in the posts poses a danger to users who accessed the link before the posts were deactivated.
The disturbing uptick in cryptocurrency scams on social media platforms, including X, is a significant problem. The FBI report from 2023 indicates that cryptocurrency scams amounted to $5.6 billion in the US, marking a 45% hike from the earlier year. In the first half of 2024, the FTC confirmed a remarkable rise in scams, recording over 50,000 cases and yielding nearly $2.5 billion losses.
The design surrounding the $OPENAI token signifies how these frauds proceed. Criminous actors can acquire control of a valid account with a substantial following and urge it to endorse a counterfeit cryptocurrency or reward. Then, users are directed to a harmful link. Engaging with the provided link will generally drain all of the victim’s cryptocurrency wallet.
