Microsoft X account hijacked to push fake Clippy crypto token

Key points

• Attackers used the hijacked account to promote a fraudulent $Clippy token tied to Microsoft's paperclip assistant Clippy.
• A post promised Clippy's return if it reached 500,000 likes, and the token was falsely said to be paired with Microsoft stock (MSTF).
• Microsoft's India X account was hacked in June 2024 to promote a GameStop crypto pre-sale linked to Keith Gill.

Microsoft's official X account was hijacked to promote a fraudulent cryptocurrency tied to Clippy, the company's paperclip-shaped virtual assistant, according to U.Today. The attackers used the account to repost a related account promoting the so-called $Clippy token, and X has since suspended the fraudulent account.

The campaign leaned on nostalgia, with a post promising that Clippy would return if it gathered 500,000 likes. It also claimed, without any legitimate basis, that the scam token was paired with Microsoft's own stock, ticker MSTF.

Fake token promoted

It is unclear how the attacker gained access to Microsoft's account, and the amount earned from the campaign has not been disclosed. U.Today notes that even an apparent apology distancing Microsoft from the hack was itself fake, which likely confused followers about whether the company had regained control.

Microsoft's X accounts have been targeted before. In June 2024, its India account was hacked to promote Keith Gill, known online as Roaring Kitty, through a GameStop cryptocurrency pre-sale that redirected users to a site capable of draining their wallets, making that incident more dangerous than this one.

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