Hackers attempt to access ChatGPT account of IMI representative in Volyn oblast

Maya Holub, journalist and Institute of Mass Information representative in Volyn oblast, received several email notifications about attempts to reset the password to her ChatGPT account.

She reported the incident to the IMI, noting that the attackers were unable to log in, since her account is protected by two-factor authentication.

“Today, around noon, notifications with codes for resetting my ChatGPT password started arriving in my personal inbox. At that time, I was working on an article and was not attempting to log into ChatGPT. Three emails with codes arrived one after the other,” she said.

Maya noted that she does occasionally use ChatGPT, but deletes her search queries afterwards.

“Moreover, I do not have any shared ChatGPT subscriptions, only I have access to my account. My personal email includes my first and last name, but it is still difficult to say whether someone made a mistake or tried to access my account deliberately,” said Maya.

In addition to her work at the Institute of Mass Information, Maya Holub is also a journalist and currently works on investigations. She recently completed her work on a project where she monitored fake news and manipulative content about Ukrainian refugees abroad.

Screenshot by Maya Holub

Digital Security Lab's security expert Maryana Yatsyshyn said in a comment to the IMI that this does look like an attempt to reset the password. It is also possible that someone has a similar email, or they might not.

Maryana Yatsyshyn says that other journalists have not contacted Digital Security Lab with similar questions yet, but she advises being vigilant nonetheless:

“People do tend to share some rather sensitive information with ChatGPT that may prompt hackers to breach accounts there. So a strong password and two-factor authentication should be mandatory. And ChatGPT uses prompts for training, so you should disable this feature (this can only be done with a paid account),” the expert said.

Screenshot by Maya Holub

Maryana Yatsyshyn advises journalists against sharing very sensitive information with the chatbot.

In 2019, hackers attempted to access Maya Holub's email account by sending her a phishing message on Facebook.