Developers working on OpenClaw have been targeted by a phishing campaign on GitHub that uses fake token rewards to trick users into connecting their crypto wallets.
Cybersecurity firm OX Security reported the scam on Wednesday, noting that no confirmed victims have been identified so far. OpenClaw creator Peter Steinberger also warned on X that any emails claiming ties to the project are fraudulent, stressing that users should only trust the official website. “We would never do that. The project is open source and non-commercial,” he said.
According to OX Security, attackers set up fake GitHub accounts and posted messages in repositories they controlled, tagging developers to boost visibility. These posts claimed recipients had won $5,000 worth of “CLAW”—a non-existent cryptocurrency falsely linked to the project—to lure them into clicking malicious links.
Users were then directed to a cloned website mimicking OpenClaw’s official page, where they were prompted to connect their crypto wallets—a common phishing tactic used to steal credentials or gain unauthorized access.
Reports on social media indicate that many developers quickly recognized the scheme, with several flagging the campaign as a scam almost immediately.
OpenClaw creator reiterates no-token stance
The incident follows earlier warnings from Peter Steinberger, creator of OpenClaw, who made it clear months ago that the project would never issue a cryptocurrency token and that any such claims are fraudulent.
“I will never do a coin. Any project that lists me as coin owner is a scam,” Steinberger wrote in a January post on X.
The phishing campaign is the latest attempt by attackers to exploit the growing popularity of OpenClaw.
Launched in November 2025, OpenClaw provides a free, open-source autonomous AI agent that runs locally on users’ computers, allowing them to manage files, software, and browser tasks through chat platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram. The project quickly gained traction on GitHub and built a strong online following, attracting more than 465,000 subscribers on X within months of its release.
In an effort to curb scams, the OpenClaw team also announced in February that discussions related to Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies would be banned in its official Discord channel.
