On October 2, 2026, unknown attackers gained unauthorized access to the official Microsoft X account, which has over 13 million followers. The intruders held control of the profile for approximately 30 minutes.
During the breach, the attackers promoted a fraudulent cryptocurrency token named Clippy. They altered the account's profile picture and engaged with an impersonator account that falsely claimed a connection to the Microsoft virtual assistant character.
Microsoft regained control of the account within 30 minutes, deleted the unauthorized posts, and secured the profile. The company is currently investigating the incident.
A company spokesperson stated that Microsoft has not authorized or endorsed any cryptocurrency token associated with its brand, the Clippy character, or its stock ticker. The impersonator account has since been suspended.
This incident follows a similar breach in 2024, when the Microsoft India account was compromised to promote a crypto token. The company continues to monitor its corporate profiles for unauthorized activity.
