Cryptocurrency scammers have taken over OpenAI's press account to post phishing links targeting OpenAI users.
While the posts have since been deleted, cryptocurrency scammers managed to hijack OpenAI’s official press account on x on September 23 to promote a purported phishing link. The ChatGPT developer has yet to acknowledge the breach.
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The hackers promoted a token called “OPENAI,” claiming it would serve as a bridge between blockchain and ai.
The posts falsely promised that users would be able to claim a portion of the token supply, which would grant them access to the platform’s future beta programs, and enticed them to click on a phishing link that would take them to a flagged website.
To lend an air of legitimacy and prevent eagle-eyed users from warning others about the attack, the attackers disabled comments on the malicious posts and added the message: “Comments disabled due to malicious links. Good luck everyone!”
A user in x x.com/NexusBen/status/1838345981374447986″ target=”_blank”>reclaimed The fake website was designed to mimic the OpenAI brand and looked legitimate at first glance. However, clicking on the OpenAI logo prompted visitors to connect their wallets.
When users connect their wallets to a malicious platform like this, they are tricked into signing a fraudulent transaction. This transaction often appears legitimate, but in reality it grants the attacker control over the user’s assets, allowing them to empty all funds stored in the compromised wallet.
These attacks, dubbed “approval phishing,” have caused more than $2.7 billion in losses since 2021, according to Chainalysis.
Unfortunately, similar attacks have targeted OpenAI executives on multiple occasions.
Most recently, OpenAI researcher Jason Wei's account was x.com/SmokeAwayyy/status/1837988088444068054″ target=”_blank”>hacked to promote the same phishing scheme, with the attackers previously x.com/JeffLadish/status/1803233605793227088″ target=”_blank”>Aiming OpenAI Chief Scientist Jakub Pachocki. Last year, OpenAI CTO Mira Murati also suffered a similar breach in June 2023.
As reported by crypto.news, virtual reality-focused project Decentraland also suffered the same fate last week, with scammers promoting a fake airdrop of its native token to trick users into connecting their wallets and approving a malicious transaction.
While all of the attacks mentioned share similarities, it is unknown whether the same group of attackers is behind them.
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