OpenAI X Account Hacked to Promote Cryptocurrency Scam

OpenAI X Account Hacked to Promote Cryptocurrency Scam

An official OpenAI account on X was compromised by hackers on Monday evening, who used it to promote a fraudulent cryptocurrency scheme. The @OpenAINewsroom account, which typically shares updates from OpenAI to its nearly 54,000 followers, posted about a token named “$OPENAI” around 7:00 PM ET. The misleading post has since been removed.

The now-deleted message claimed, “We’re very happy to announce $OPENAI: the token bridging the gap between AI and blockchain technology. All OpenAI users are eligible to claim a piece of $OPENAI’s initial supply. Holding $OPENAI will grant access to all of our future beta programs.”

Prior to the breach, an OpenAI security team member alerted employees about an increase in account takeovers targeting staff, providing tips on how to enhance account security, according to a memo reported by Bloomberg.

OpenAI’s accounts have previously been targeted in similar cryptocurrency scams. Just a day before, an account belonging to OpenAI researcher Jason Wei was also hijacked to promote a fake $OPENAI token launch. Additionally, the accounts of Jakub Pachocki, OpenAI’s Chief Scientist, and Mira Murati, the Chief Technology Officer, experienced brief security breaches.

The rise in cryptocurrency scams has led to significant losses, with August alone witnessing $310 million in total losses, marking it as the second-highest monthly loss for 2024, according to blockchain security firm CertiK. Of that amount, only $10.3 million was recovered, resulting in a net loss of $300.6 million.

The largest breach of the year occurred on July 18, affecting the Indian exchange WazirX and leading to over $230 million in losses, which accounted for 86.4% of that month’s total. Investigations have indicated that North Korean cybercriminals may be involved in the attack, although this has not been officially confirmed.