Crypto Scam Hits OpenAI: Beware of Fake Token Offers on X
The official OpenAI account on the social network X was recently targeted by scammers specializing in cryptocurrency schemes. This incident is the latest in a series of similar breaches that have previously affected personal accounts of the company’s leadership.
On the evening of September 23, a post appeared on the OpenAI Newsroom page announcing a new blockchain token called “$OPENAI.” The post claimed that OpenAI users could receive a portion of the initial token offering, which purportedly would grant access to future beta programs from the company.
In reality, however, no such token as $OPENAI exists. Comments on the post were disabled, and the link directed users to a phishing website mimicking OpenAI’s official site. The scammers used a “CLAIM $OPENAI” button in an attempt to gain access to users’ cryptocurrency wallets. The post was later deleted, and no official statement from the company has been issued.
This is far from the first instance of accounts associated with OpenAI being compromised. In June 2023, the account of the company’s CTO, Mira Murati, was used to promote a fake token with the same name — $OPENAI. Three months ago, a similar attack targeted the accounts of Chief Scientist Jakub Pachocki and researcher Jason Wei.
According to Coinspeaker, which first reported last year’s hack of Mira Murati’s account, the attackers used a crypto drainer that redirected the victims’ NFTs and tokens to the scammers’ wallets after they authenticated on the fake site.
In recent years, cryptocurrency scams have become increasingly prevalent. According to the FBI, Americans lost $5.6 billion to such schemes in 2023, a 45% increase compared to 2022. The first half of 2024 suggests the situation may worsen, with over 50,000 fraud cases reported, resulting in an estimated $2.5 billion in losses.
The breach of OpenAI’s official profile underscores the importance of user vigilance and the need to verify the authenticity of information, particularly when it involves financial transactions and large public accounts suddenly promoting suspicious crypto schemes.
