OpenAI says it has shut down a network of accounts that used ChatGPT to run a fake “scam recovery” operation targeting fraud victims.
In its latest threat disruption report, the company says it banned a cluster of accounts that posed as fictitious law firms and impersonated real attorneys and US authorities, including the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
OpenAI says the thieves used ChatGPT to generate promotional materials for at least six fake law firms. The content was posted through social media accounts and online ads that promoted fraudulent financial recovery services.
According to the firm, the scammers tried to build trust by creating lawyer personas and drafting messages in a professional legal tone. Some of the same “attorney” identities were reused across multiple fake firms. One website posed as IC3, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
Victims were directed to private messaging apps such as Telegram. OpenAI says the messages drafted with ChatGPT falsely claimed the operation was supervised by the International Criminal Court and promised that no fees would be charged until funds were recovered.
Scammers request a 15% “service fee” deposits to activate accounts and consultation payments before any supposed recovery. Victims were asked to send crypto and provide screenshots of transaction confirmations as proof of payment.
OpenAI says the scammers used its models for multiple parts of the workflow, including writing promotional copy, crafting cold outreach messages and translating conversations into “American English” or a lawyer-like tone. Some accounts also generated fake attorney registration records, bogus bar membership cards and fabricated confidentiality agreements to discourage victims from seeking outside help.
OpenAI says available evidence suggests victims may have lost thousands of dollars, though it cannot independently verify the amounts.
The FBI and at least one impersonated law firm have issued public alerts, warning that the scam targets vulnerable audiences, particularly the elderly.
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