OpenAI bans Cambodia-based accounts using ChatGPT to impersonate lawyers and the FBI in recovery scams

Operation “False Witness”: Fake recovery service impersonating authorities

OpenAI's February safety report details 'Operation False Witness': a cluster very likely based in Cambodia used ChatGPT to create content for at least six fake law firms and to impersonate the FBI's IC3 unit. They lured fraud victims via social media ads, then used ChatGPT to draft lawyer-style messages on Telegram, demanding upfront crypto payments—such as a 15% service fee—before any recovery. The scammers also generated fake New York State Bar membership cards and bogus confidentiality agreements. OpenAI says individual victims may have lost thousands of dollars but cannot independently verify the amounts. The FBI and at least one impersonated firm have issued public alerts.

Why it matters: An official safety disclosure from OpenAI with concrete tactics and law enforcement tie-in, not a generic safety statement. But it's an excerpt from a broader report, not a standalone product launch — lands right at the featured threshold.