THE SCAM
The crypto token promoted on Microsoft's verified account.
On Thursday, attackers hijacked Microsoft's official account on X — the one with more than 13 million followers — and used it to push a crypto token called $Clippy.
The account followed and reposted another account pretending to be Clippy, Microsoft's old paperclip assistant. That other account claimed the token had a liquidity pool "paired directly with $MSFT" stock, making it sound like Microsoft itself was behind the coin.
Microsoft has since removed the posts and confirmed the access was unauthorized. The company says it does not support any cryptocurrency or crypto token and is taking legal action to get the unauthorized token removed.
THE RED FLAG
A familiar logo and a verified checkmark are not proof anymore. Hackers target big brand accounts on purpose, because one repost from a name you trust can make a fake coin look real in seconds.
Watch for the pattern: a huge company suddenly promoting a brand-new crypto token, through a random side account, with urgent buy-now language. Real companies announce real products on their own website first — not by quietly boosting a stranger's token post.
THE RULE
Never buy anything, and never connect a crypto wallet, based on a social media post alone — even if it comes from a verified account you have followed for years.
If a post surprises you, leave the app. Type the company's real website address yourself and look for the same announcement there. If the company's own site says nothing about it, treat the post as fake, even while it is still live.
And if you already connected a wallet or sent money after seeing a post like this, disconnect that wallet right away and move any remaining funds to a new one. A compromised post can disappear in minutes. A drained wallet does not come back.
(Source: BleepingComputer, October 2, 2026)
SIGN-OFF
That's today's red flag. One scam, one red flag, one rule — pass it to someone who clicks first and asks questions later.
Got a scam text or a sketchy email? Send it via the contact page — the best ones make future red flags.