On the evening of Monday, September 23, an alarming incident occurred when the official @OpenAINewsroom account on X was compromised, leading to the promotion of a fraudulent cryptocurrency scheme.
At precisely 6:24 PM ET, the account, which boasts nearly 54,000 followers, made a now-deleted post that attempted to lure users into investing in an “$OPENAI” token.
The post, which raised immediate red flags, proclaimed,
“We’re very happy to announce $OPENAI: the token bridging the gap between AI and blockchain technology.”
It went on to entice followers by stating,
“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.”
Accompanying this dubious announcement was a link directing users to a counterfeit version of OpenAI’s official website, using a URL that deviated from the legitimate openai.com domain.
Upon investigation of the linked site, it became evident that the scammers had crafted an elaborate facade.
The site contained a section claiming to facilitate the acquisition of the $OPENAI cryptocurrency.
When users interacted with the site by clicking the button to claim their tokens, they were prompted to connect their cryptocurrency wallets—an action that could lead to significant financial risk.
One cautious user noted,
“When I clicked the button, it asked me to connect a wallet, which I didn’t do.”
This reflects the prudence necessary in avoiding potential scams.
As the situation unfolded, both OpenAI and X remained unresponsive to inquiries regarding the breach.
This lack of communication left followers of the OpenAI Newsroom account in the dark about the incident's implications.
As of the latest updates, no clarifying posts have been made by the account, which had only been established at the beginning of September.
This incident highlights a growing trend where established social media accounts are being exploited to perpetuate scams, particularly in the cryptocurrency arena.
The tactic of hijacking a trusted account to promote fake tokens is not new, but its effectiveness relies heavily on the unsuspecting nature of the audience.
As the cryptocurrency market continues to attract attention, vigilance becomes crucial for users navigating these potential traps.
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