An official OpenAI account on the platform X was compromised on Monday evening to promote a cryptocurrency scam.
At 6:24 PM ET on Monday, the @OpenAINewsroom account, which disseminates updates from OpenAI and has nearly 54,000 followers, posted a now-deleted message promoting an “$OPENAI” token.
The post announced, “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.” The message also included a link to a spoofed version of OpenAI’s website, which did not use the legitimate openai.com URL.
Upon visiting the fraudulent site, there was a section for claiming the $OPENAI cryptocurrency. Clicking on the button prompted a request to connect a cryptocurrency wallet, which was not proceeded with.
There is a caution attached to the article, advising users not to connect their crypto wallets if they find themselves on such a website.
As of now, OpenAI and X have not responded to requests for comments. The OpenAI Newsroom account has not posted an explanation regarding the incident. This account was launched earlier this month.
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