OpenAI's X Account Hacked to Promote Cryptocurrency Scam

OpenAI's X account compromised -- Beware of the $OPENAI scam

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.

OpenAI's X account was hacked to promote a crypto scam

The link on posts led to a fake AI site that would ask you to connect your wallet. OpenAI opened a newsroom Twitter account earlier this month and it's already been hacked. The new handle was taken over by a crypto scammer promoting a fake OpenAI token that was in reality a scam to steal Bitcoins. That follows similar hacks of three key OpenAI employee X accounts over the last 15 months, including the one belonging to CTO Mira Murati. The fraudster enticed potential victims by saying the OpenAI token is somehow "driven by artificial intelligence-based language models." It then threw in a jumble of crypto and AI buzzwords that were probably enough to lure in some gullible users. Going to "token-openai.com" would show them a fake but convincing OpenAI site. Anything they click asks to connect to their wallet, then presumably steals everything inside it. Several fraudulent posts were visible for around an hour before being removed and the account seems to be back to normal. OpenAI confirmed the problem and said they were looking into it, according to Bloomberg. Yesterday, the company's security team reportedly warned employees to secure their accounts due to a rise in recent account takeovers.

OpenAI X Account Compromised to Promote Crypto Phishing Scam

OpenAI's official "OpenAI Newsroom" account on X/Twitter suddenly began promoting a supposed new cryptocurrency, directing viewers to a malicious link that's been identified as a phishing scam. The gold-checkmarked @OpenAINewsroom account wrote: "We're very happy to announce $OPEANAI [sic]: the token bridging the gap between AI and blockchain technology." It then said that all OpenAI users were able to "claim" some of the crypto -- if they just clicked on a link in the post. Its second post in the thread supposedly explained that it had turned off the comments "due to malicious links," but, ironically, its own post contained the malicious link. The original post, which has since been deleted, was spotted by TechCrunch, though the second post remains visible at time of writing. The first red flag that this is a cryptocurrency scam -- and that the account was hacked or compromised -- is that the post has a major typo (OpeanAI). The second is that the post's link goes to a website that isn't OpenAI's legitimate domain. And, sure enough, a quick link safety check with NordVPN's free link checker confirms that the URL OpenAI's account is directing users to has been flagged as a phishing site. Clicking the link, however, would take you to a site where it asks you to connect your crypto wallet, The Verge notes. However, connecting your crypto wallet here (or even visiting this link) is not a good idea. This is how a typical crypto phishing scam works on X: A scammer gets into a legitimate account with a substantial following, makes a sudden post about a new token or other reward (that may not even exist), and directs users to a malicious link that might seem real. Engaging with the link and following the steps, however, to "claim" the supposed token actually results in the draining of your entire crypto wallet. Instead of getting some free crypto, you lose all of yours. Cryptocurrency scams have been a problem on X for years. Sometimes, scammers gain access to legitimate companies' accounts and post "news" that may seem legitimate, like with OpenAI's Newsroom account. Other times, scammers spin up "clone" accounts posing as a person or a company like OpenAI and buy blue or gold checks to trick users into thinking they're seeing an authentic account. Back in January, a hacker even gained access to the official account of the US Securities and Exchange Commission to promote Bitcoin ETFs. Last year, OpenAI CTO Mira Murati's account was compromised to promote a crypto scam. OpenAI chief scientist Jakub Pachocki and OpenAI researcher Jason Wei also saw their accounts compromised to push crypto scams just a few months ago. Crypto scam ads have also been a big problem on X more broadly. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman does have a real history with crypto, however. In 2019, Altman cofounded Worldcoin, a crypto project that uses orb-like machines to scan your iris and ties it to a "WorldID" on the blockchain. But more than a dozen countries have now either barred Worldcoin from operating in their region, or are investigating it over regulatory concerns.

Official OpenAI Twitter Account Taken Over by Hackers to Shill Crypto Scheme

On Monday evening, one of OpenAI's official accounts on X-formerly-Twitter was taken over by crypto scammers, who used the opportunity to peddle a fake token called "$OPENAI." "We're very happy to announce $OPEANAI: the token bridging the gap between Al and blockchain technology," said a now-deleted tweet on the OpenAI Newsroom account, which has over 54,000 followers. "All OpenAI users are eligible to claim a piece of $OPENAI's initial supply," it continued. "Holding $OPENAI will grant access to all of our future beta programs." The post included a link to a phishing site designed to look like OpenAI's, according to TechCrunch, where unwitting users are directed to click a big "CLAIM $OPENAI" button that opens a menu to connect a crypto wallet. And as these scams tend to go, this would almost certainly be used to plunder whatever funds the wallet contained. Before we proceed: do not buy any crypto purported to be a collaboration with OpenAI, because it's not involved with any such projects. The company acknowledged it was aware of the breach and that it was looking into it, according to Bloomberg, which is about the extent of what it's said on the matter so far. It's unclear how many people were tricked by the scam. While the posts were deleted after an hour, the bogus website is still up -- though it's now been flagged with a "suspected phishing" warning page if you visit it. Since the hack, no statements or follow-up tweets have been made on the Newsroom account, which was created in June and only became actively used this month. Didn't take long for it to fall, huh? Luckily, it wasn't OpenAI's primary account, which has over three million followers, that was compromised. Otherwise, the damage could've been much worse. Still, this is the fifth hack of an OpenAI-affiliated account in about two years, Cointelegraph notes, which either means that the startup has a nagging cybersecurity issue that needs addressing, or that it's the target of an outsized number of attacks, or both. Four of these breaches were used to shill the same fake $OPENAI token, including the Twitter accounts of the AI company's chief technology officer Mira Murati, which was hacked in June last year, and more recently the account of chief scientist Jakub Pachocki just a few months ago. The company suffered its most major breach last year, when a hacker broke into a private forum used by OpenAI's employees to discuss company secrets.

Crypto scammers hack OpenAI's press account on X | TechCrunch

OpenAI's official press account on X was hacked by cryptocurrency scammers. Or, at least that's what appears to have happened. Late Tuesday afternoon, OpenAI Newsroom, an account OpenAI recently launched to spotlight product- and policy-related announcements, tweeted about an "$OPENAI" cryptocurrency token that "[bridges] the gap between AI and blockchain technology." "All OpenAI users are eligible to claim a piece of $OPENAI's initial supply," the post read. "Holding $OPENAI will grant access to all of our future beta programs." The trouble is, $OPENAI doesn't exist -- and the post linked to a phishing site designed to mimic the legitimate OpenAI website (with the exception of the conspicuous URL "token-openai.com"). A prominent "CLAIM $OPENAI" button on the fake site encouraged unsuspecting users to connect their cryptocurrency wallets, likely in an attempt to steal those users' login credentials. As of publication time, both the post and site were still up. And comments on the malicious OpenAI Newsroom post were disabled, making the scam less obvious than it might be otherwise.

Crypto scammers hack OpenAI's X account to promote fake token - Times of India

In a recent security breach, crypto scammers managed to gain control of OpenAI's official press account on X (formerly Twitter). The hackers exploited a vulnerability in the platform's security to take over the account. Once they had control, the scammers began posting fraudulent messages promoting various cryptocurrency scams. These messages included links to fake websites and investment opportunities, designed to deceive unsuspecting users into parting with their funds. OpenAI stated that one of its X accounts was hacked on September 23.An unauthorised person used this account to post messages promoting a fake crypto token associated with the AI company. OpenAI acknowledged the issue and stated that they were investigating it. The fraudulent posts, originating from the @OpenAINewsroom account, were visible to some users for approximately an hour before being removed. This is not the first time a fraudulent crypto-related post has appeared on an account connected to OpenAI. On Sunday (September 22), researcher Jason Wei's account posted a similar message promoting a token called $OPENAI. Additionally, in June, OpenAI Chief Scientist Jakub Pachocki's account was compromised. In June 2023, Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati's account was also briefly hijacked. The TOI Tech Desk is a dedicated team of journalists committed to delivering the latest and most relevant news from the world of technology to readers of The Times of India. TOI Tech Desk's news coverage spans a wide spectrum across gadget launches, gadget reviews, trends, in-depth analysis, exclusive reports and breaking stories that impact technology and the digital universe. Be it how-tos or the latest happenings in AI, cybersecurity, personal gadgets, platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and more; TOI Tech Desk brings the news with accuracy and authenticity.

OpenAI Twitter Accounts Link to Crypto Scam After Another Hack - Decrypt

OpenAI had one of its official Twitter accounts compromised to promote a fake cryptocurrency, the fourth time the Chat GPT developer has fallen foul of similar schemes. The account urged followers to claim a non-existent token known as $OPENAI, which it said would "bridge the gap" between blockchain technology and AI. "All OpenAI users are eligible to claim a piece of $OPENAI's initial supply," read the tweet. The now-deleted post said that claiming the tokens would grant buyers "access to all our future beta programs." Comments on the fake posts were disabled, perhaps an intentional ploy by the hackers to make the thread look less suspicious. OpenAI Newsroom, which only launched at the start of this month, had 54,000 followers and focused on topics like company product updates. The tweet linked to a malicious phishing website, designed to look like OpenAI's official homepage. OpenAI's CTO Mira Murati had his account compromised in June 2023, while the company's chief scientist Jakub Pachocki suffered a similar incident in June 2024. OpenAI researcher Jason Wei's X also had his account hacked in September 2024. In all cases, hackers posted similar messages promoting $OPENAI crypto tokens. Despite the company's apparent popularity with crypto scammers, OpenAI has not publicly announced any crypto or blockchain-related projects at the time of writing. Unlike in the case of many high-profile Twitter hacks, those responsible didn't try to prompt a particular coin or airdrop to pump its value In the previous OpenAI Twitter attacks it appears the attackers employed what is known as a "wallet drainer." This is where unsuspecting users are tricked into inputting their wallet details, which are then drained of valuables like crypto or non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Very few firms, no matter their size or their technical expertise, seem to be immune from having their Twitter pages taken hostage to promote coins. Last week Brazilian soccer star Neymar Jr, computer manufacturer Lenovo, and Oscar winning film director Oliver Stone all had their accounts hacked to promote Solana-based memecoin dubbed $HACKED In 2020, Bitcoin scammers compromised the pages of President Barack Obama, Apple, Uber, and rapper Kanye West in what may have been the largest scam of its type at the time. Decrypt has contacted OpenAI for comment. The firm has not yet commented on the breach at the time of writing.

OpenAI's X account hacked; hacker posts fake messages, fraudulent crypto token - Here's what happened

OpenAI was aware of the situation and stated that it was investigating the incident OpenAI reported that one of its official accounts on X, formerly Twitter, had been hacked by an unauthorised individual on Monday, September 23. The @OpenAINewsroom account was hacked, and the hacker posted messages soliciting users to click on links to a fraudulent crypto token that falsely claimed to be associated with the startup, Bloomberg reported. As per the report, OpenAI was aware of the situation and stated that it was investigating the incident. The hacked account reportedly posted fake messages around 7 PM, per New York time, and these posts remained visible for at least an hour before being removed. Earlier that morning, a member of OpenAI's security team had sent an internal memo to employees, warning them about a recent surge in account takeovers involving company staff. The memo included advice and a guide on how to secure their accounts, as disclosed by a source familiar with the matter who requested anonymity. Prior incidents Prior to this, another OpenAI-related account was also targeted by fraudulent crypto posts. On September 22, a post appeared on the account of OpenAI researcher Jason Wei, announcing a fake token called $OPENAI. Additionally, in June 2024, the account of OpenAI's Chief Scientist Jakub Pachocki was hacked, and before this in June 2023, the account of Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati was also hacked for a brief time. Notedly, OpenAI is all set to launch its reasoning-focused AI, Strawberry, as part of its ChatGPT service this month, according to a report by The Information. In fact, two individuals have already tested the model. Unlike other conversational AIs, Strawberry is believed to distinguish itself by its ability to think before responding, rather than providing immediate answers to queries.

OpenAI's X Account Got Hacked: Here's What Happened

X (formerly Twitter) has several tools that let you know if an account is legitimate or not. This allows companies to prove to readers that they're the real deal, and builds a sense of security around their posts. Unfortunately, as we've just seen with OpenAI, that trust can sometimes be abused to steal money from people. What Happened to OpenAI? At the start of September 2024, the AI tech giant created the OpenAI Newsroom X feed to keep people up to speed with the company's developments. It received the Verified Organizations badge and an official OpenAI badge. This gave a clear and direct message that OpenAI owned the account and that it wasn't someone pretending to be the AI giant to spread misinformation. The problem is, these verifications are a double-edged sword. It gives people a reason to trust posts from the account, but if said account is compromised and begins posting malicious content, people are more likely to believe that the posts are coming from the company. Bad actors know this, and they're always trying to crack into high-profile accounts so they can post their latest scam. This time, they managed to get into the OpenAI Newsroom account and posted a link to a fake OpenAI website. This site asked users to link a cryptocurrency wallet, after which the scammers would steal all of the victim's money. How to Stay Safe From Compromised X Accounts Compromised accounts posting malicious links are by no means new. In fact, they're one of the many common X scams that circulate the platform. If this is the first time you've seen an official account hacked to distribute a malicious link, here's how to stay safe. First, never take a verification badge for granted. The badge only means that the account is owned by the company it claims to be. It is not a guarantee that the person making the posts is from the company, or that the company automatically endorses every post made on it. If an official account starts acting strangely, don't click any links that are posted. It's likely a scammer trying to use the account's position to spread their malware or scams. If you're certain it's a scam, you can report the post on X and get it shut down before people fall for it.

OpenAI Hacked: Crypto Scam Targets Users

The largest cyberattack this week occurred on Monday evening when nefarious actors hijacked the legitimate OpenAI X account, @OpenAINewsroom. The hackers managed to deceive approximately 54,000 followers with a phishing message proclaiming the recently launched cryptocurrency token, $OPENAI. Contrary to the declared message, the post declares that users of OpenAI can stake their claim of a share of the initial supply and turn the token into "the bridge for AI and blockchain."

OpenAI News Account on X Compromised, Sends Posts About Crypto

OpenAI said one of its accounts on X was compromised on Monday, when an unauthorized individual sent out posts soliciting users to click through to a crypto token falsely claiming to be related to the artificial intelligence startup. The company said it was aware of the issue, and was looking into it. The posts, which came from the account @OpenAINewsroom, appeared around 7 p.m. New York time and were still visible for some users about an hour later, before being deleted.