OpenAI’s official press account on X (formerly Twitter) was hacked by cryptocurrency scammers, leading to a post promoting a fake blockchain token named “$OPENAI.” The hackers used the compromised account to trick users into engaging with a phishing scam designed to steal cryptocurrency wallet details.
Late on Monday, the compromised “OpenAI Newsroom” account posted a message about a new token, $OPENAI, claiming it was a breakthrough between artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain technology. The post falsely promised that holding the token would give users access to future OpenAI beta programs.
It stated, “We’re very happy to announce $OPENAI: the gap between AI and blockchain technology,” adding that all OpenAI users were eligible to claim part of the token’s initial supply.
However, the $OPENAI token does not exist. The post on X linked to a fraudulent site that mimicked OpenAI’s official website but used a fake URL, “token-openai.com.”
The site featured a prominent button labeled “CLAIM $OPENAI,” which encouraged users to connect their cryptocurrency wallets, potentially exposing their login credentials to the scammers.
As of the time of this report, the fake post and the phishing site remained active, with comments on the malicious post disabled, making it harder for users to recognize the hack. A repost of the scam also promised further information about the token later in the week.
The incident is the latest in a series of phishing attacks targeting OpenAI-related accounts. In June 2023, OpenAI’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Mira Murati, had her X account hacked, which also promoted the fictional $OPENAI token. Scammers used a crypto-drainer tool, which siphoned off NFTs and tokens from victims’ wallets once they connected to the fake site. Similarly, in a separate attack, the accounts of OpenAI’s Chief Scientist Jakub Pachocki and researcher Jason Wei were hacked and used to push identical scam posts.
This type of scam is not unique to OpenAI. High-profile accounts on X belonging to tech companies and public figures have been hacked in the past to promote cryptocurrency fraud. One of the most infamous examples occurred in 2020, when the accounts of Apple, Elon Musk, and then-presidential candidate Joe Biden were hacked. Scammers posted a bitcoin wallet address, falsely claiming that any payments sent to the wallet would be doubled and returned to the sender.
The rise of cryptocurrency scams has had a significant financial impact. In 2023, Americans lost $5.6 billion to crypto scams, marking a 45% increase compared to 2022, according to the FBI. The trend shows no sign of slowing down in 2024, with over 50,000 scams reported in just the first half of the year, costing consumers nearly $2.5 billion, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).