Microsoft confirmed on October 2, 2026, that attackers gained unauthorized access to its official X account and used it to amplify a Clippy-themed cryptocurrency promotion. Microsoft says it secured the account and removed the posts. It also says it did not authorize or endorse the token and has no affiliation with its creators or project.
What happened to Microsoft’s X account?
The attackers used Microsoft’s account to follow and repost content from @clippymsftcto, an account impersonating Clippy that has since been suspended. The promotion reportedly asked how many likes it would take to bring Clippy back. SecurityWeek reported that Microsoft’s profile image was changed to Clippy and that an apology post appeared roughly 30 minutes later before being deleted. BleepingComputer also reported a deleted apology post.
Microsoft said: “We have confirmed unauthorized access to our account on X including posts that did not come from Microsoft.” It added that the account had been secured, the unauthorized posts removed, and the circumstances were still under investigation. The account had more than 13 million followers, according to contemporaneous reports from BleepingComputer and SecurityWeek; that is a reported scale, not an audited current count.
Is the $Clippy cryptocurrency affiliated with Microsoft?
No. Microsoft expressly said it had not authorized, sponsored, endorsed, or granted permission for any cryptocurrency associated with Clippy, Microsoft, or $MSFT. It also said it had no affiliation with the token, its creators, or any related project.
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In a deleted post quoted by BleepingComputer, Microsoft said it would pursue appropriate legal action to have the unauthorized token and related materials removed. Because that statement was reported from a deleted post, it should not be treated as a currently available Microsoft notice.
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A second account, @ClippyMSFT, was reportedly still promoting the token and claimed it had a liquidity pool paired directly with $MSFT. That was the account’s claim, not an independently verified fact. Neither a repost from a compromised account nor promotional claims establish that a token is legitimate or connected to Microsoft.
How did the attackers get access?
Microsoft had not publicly explained how the attackers accessed the account in the reporting reviewed on October 2, 2026. SecurityWeek listed phishing, SIM swapping, stolen browser session cookies, and compromised authorized posting tools as possible account-takeover routes, but none has been established as the cause of this incident.
Were there confirmed victims or financial losses?
The reports reviewed did not provide an incident-specific victim count, confirmed successful purchases, or amount of money lost. Figures from other crypto scams cannot be used to estimate losses from this Clippy promotion.
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For context only, BleepingComputer reported that ScamSniffer estimated roughly $59 million was stolen from 63,000 people in a separate Twitter-ad wallet-drainer campaign between March and November 2023. That statistic concerns a different campaign and does not describe the October 2026 Microsoft incident.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How does this differ from Microsoft’s 2024 account hack?
In June 2024, scammers hijacked Microsoft’s India X account, @MicrosoftIndia, and impersonated Roaring Kitty while promoting a fake GameStop crypto presale through a malicious site. BleepingComputer reported that people who connected wallets and authorized transactions had assets stolen by a wallet drainer. That was a separate incident, with a different promotion and reported mechanics; it does not establish how the 2026 Clippy attack worked or whether anyone lost money in it.
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What should you do if you saw the token promotion?
- Do not treat the compromised Microsoft account’s repost as an endorsement or proof of legitimacy.
- Do not rely on claims from token-promoting accounts about Microsoft, $MSFT, or a liquidity pool as evidence of affiliation.
- If you interacted with a token or connected a wallet, assess the specific transaction and account activity; the incident reports do not establish that the Clippy promotion itself drained wallets.
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