The tech journalists at 404 Media learned that OpenAI is hiring hundreds of contractors to read and review a massive stream of real users’ ChatGPT prompts and responses.
“Project Lily” is reportedly a program that asks contractors to score or critique ChatGPT’s answers to improve the chatbot’s quality and behavior.
The fact that prompts may sometimes be reviewed by humans should not come as a complete surprise. AI companies also monitor conversations for safety reasons. Anthropic, for example, says it has disrupted attempts to misuse AI for biological weapons research.
But there should be a meaningful distinction between reviewing conversations for safety or abuse and reviewing them for ordinary model improvement.
OpenAI says a limited number of authorized personnel and trusted service providers may access chats for several reasons, including investigating abuse, providing support, handling legal matters, and improving its models.
OpenAI told 404 Media that it uses a “Privacy Filter” model to remove personal information before prompts reach reviewers, while acknowledging that sensitive details can still get through.
The prompts are anonymized in the sense that reviewers do not see the username of the ChatGPT user who entered them. But reviewers may see personal details in the conversation alongside a “user memories summary,” which provides an overview of how that user has previously used the chatbot. Together, this information could still reveal a great deal about that user.
It’s sometimes easy to forget that you’re not having a private conversation when you’re going back and forth with an AI chatbot. This isn’t an alarmist warning against using AI, but a reminder to be mindful of what you disclose because it could be read and reviewed.
How to opt out of AI chatbot training
ChatGPT
OpenAI told 404 Media that users’ chats won’t be used to improve the company’s models if they turn off the “Improve the model for everyone” setting. This is turned on by default for Free, Plus, and Pro plans, so users need to turn it off themselves if they wish to opt out.
However, opting out does not prevent all human access. OpenAI says authorized personnel and trusted service providers may still access content when necessary to investigate abuse or security incidents, provide support, troubleshoot problems, or handle legal matters.
In ChatGPT, select your profile icon, then go to Settings > Data Controls and turn off Improve the model for everyone. On mobile, open the sidebar, select your profile icon, and then follow the same steps.
Perplexity
In Perplexity, go to Settings > Preferences > AI data retention and turn off the setting.
Perplexity says this prevents data collected after you opt out from being used to train AI models. It does not remove data collected previously, and your data may still be processed to operate and improve the service or comply with legal obligations.
Claude
In Claude, select your name and go to Settings > Privacy. Under Help Improve our AI Models, turn off the setting.
Anthropic says new chats and coding sessions will no longer be used for future model training. It will also stop using previously stored conversations in future training runs, although data already included in training can’t be removed.
Anthropic also notes one important exception:
If our safety classifiers flag your conversations, they may still be used to improve our internal trust and safety models, detect harmful content, enforce our policies, or advance our safety research.
If you use other AI tools, check their privacy policies and settings to find out whether your conversations can be reviewed or used for model improvement and whether you can opt out.
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Researchers at Hudson Rock found that cybercriminals hijacked HBO Max’s verified Reddit account and used it to run 108 malicious ads over roughly 48 hours.
The ads used HBO Max’s trusted corporate account to promote fake AI tools, developer software, and macOS utilities, lowering potential victims’ guards.
Some ads directed users to convincing HBO lookalike sites that claimed to offer a native HBO Max app for macOS or a promotional download. But instead of providing an installer, the sites instructed visitors to open Terminal on their Mac or, on Windows, the Run dialog or PowerShell, and paste in a command.
This is the hallmark of a growing social engineering technique known as ClickFix.
ClickFix attacks disguise malicious instructions as a routine technical step, such as fixing an error, completing a CAPTCHA, verifying that you are human, or installing software. A web page may silently copy a command to the clipboard, then guide the victim through pasting and running it, by which they will infect their own device.
Researchers at ADAMnetworks have dubbed the operation behind the HBO Max ads “PasteSwitch.” Its infrastructure appears to tailor the next stage to the visitor’s device and the lure being used.
Observed macOS payloads included MacSync and AMOS infostealers designed to steal browser credentials and profiles, Telegram data, Apple Notes, saved passwords, and cryptocurrency wallet recovery phrases.
Windows users could end up with the Amatera infostealer, which runs in memory. The operation has also been linked to cryptocurrency clipboard hijackers, which monitor copied wallet addresses and replace them with an attacker-controlled address before a transaction is sent.
How to stay safe
Reddit admins paused the ads and opened a security investigation after reports came in, but it is important to remain vigilant. Reportedly, ClickFix was responsible for more than half of all malware loader activity in 2025.
One reason for its success is that campaigns continue to add new methods for tricking users and different commands for avoiding detection.
Users of macOS Tahoe 26.4 or later may be warned when pasting text into Terminal, but it doesn’t appear for everyone, so you shouldn’t rely on that alone.
Malwarebytes can provide additional protection at several stages of a ClickFix attack. Browser Guard warns when a website tries to copy something to your clipboard, web protection blocks known malicious sites, and real-time protection can detect malware delivered by the campaign.
With ClickFix running rampant and inventing new methods all the time, it’s important to be aware, careful, and protected:
Treat ads with caution. A verified account does not guarantee that an ad is safe. Visit the company’s official website directly instead of downloading software through an advertisement.
Slow down. Don’t rush to follow instructions on a webpage or prompt, especially if it asks you to run commands on your device or copy-paste code. Attackers may use countdowns, user counters, or other pressure tactics to make you act quickly.
Don’t run commands from untrusted sources. Never run code or commands copied from websites, emails, ads, or messages unless you trust the source and understand what the command does. Check the instructions against official documentation or contact the company’s support team.
Secure your devices. Use an up-to-date, real-time anti-malware solution with a web protection component. Malwarebytes blocks ember-bridge.com, which is part of the PasteSwitch infrastructure.
Educate yourself on evolving attack techniques. Understanding that attacks may come from unexpected vectors and evolve helps maintain vigilance. Keep reading our blog!
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Cybersecurity risks should never spread beyond a headline. Keep threats off your devices by downloading Malwarebytes today.
If you’re still OK with posting pictures of your kids on social media, take a minute to hear from mother of two Kalie Robins. At the start of September, she did something that hundreds of thousands of parents do every day. She posted a video of her young daughter on Facebook.
Under the video of Robins and her daughter singing in a car, Facebook’s Meta AI system displayed a suggested question: “Who is the child passenger?”
Robins was shocked that Facebook would ask this question about a minor, so curiosity prompted her to click it. That’s when a flood of automated stalker-type behavior began.
In Instagram post, an enraged Robins described what happened:
“It starts pulling completely separate information for each of my kids.”
That included names, birth dates, and videos of them.
The site also pulled up a picture of her newborn daughter that Robins’ mother had posted on Facebook years ago, along with a long-deleted picture that Robins said had once been in her own account.
Things got weirder. The site then presented another question: “Where does Kalie Robins live?”
An increasingly outraged Robins clicked that question. She described the results:
“[Facebook] started digging through completely unrelated sh*t from years of my life.”
It dug through old posts that hinted at where she had lived in the past and newer posts that connected her to her current home. It finished by attempting to pinpoint her location.
Robins complained:
“I didn’t ask Facebook to build a profile of my family.”
She expressed shock that Facebook would piece together snippets of personal information from historical posts and package them into a detailed profile for other users.
You can watch Kalie Robins’ Instagram video here:
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Meta launched Meta AI in April 2024 and has since built it into Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger. It operates across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The assistant can answer questions, generate images, and help users create or retrieve information.
“The feature never should have prompted the individual with questions like that.”
The company said the feature had “missed the mark” and that it had fixed the issue that caused Meta AI to suggest questions about personal topics.
In a classic “yes, but” non-apology, a Meta spokesperson also pointed out that the AI only surfaced information drawn from posts the person asking could already access. Although that doesn’t seem to explain why it reportedly surfaced a photo she had deleted years ago.
A pattern of Meta AI failures
Meta AI hasn’t always respected privacy. In June last year, we reported that users were publicly sharing conversations, often without realizing it. A separate bug we reported the following month could have allowed people to view other users’ private Meta AI chats by simply guessing their IDs. Late last year, Meta also started targeting people with ads based on their Meta AI conversations.
What can users do?
Parents get understandably irate when they discover just how much sites like Facebook can learn about their kids. While Robins regularly posted pictures and videos of her children, she had no idea that the service could aggregate information from years of posts to profile them. She’s not alone.
So what can people do about it? Perhaps the better question is: What should people not do? The clearest answer is not to post identifiable pictures of your kids (or other people’s) on social media. Not just to stop them being tracked in a privacy hellscape, but also to reduce the risk of even darker outcomes.
Robins described what she planned to do next:
“I’m done. I’m removing any identifiable pictures and videos of our kids.”
She added that she’ll ask her friends to do the same because, if they don’t, Facebook would still be able to harvest her children’s pictures from their accounts and use them in the profiles it builds.
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Bitrefill is a legitimate company that sells gift cards for popular stores like Amazon, Deliveroo, Apple, Nintendo, and thousands of others. They also sell eSIMs, and mobile top-ups. You can pay on their website for all of these with cryptocurrency.
The scam is designed to catch people searching for Bitrefill or something it sells, like a gift card. Victims see a search result that appears to lead to Bitrefill but actually points to a lookalike domain. The fake site then takes them through what appears to be a normal purchase. The fake sites are not operated by or affiliated with Bitrefill; scammers have copied its branding and checkout process.
The victim chooses an amount and a cryptocurrency before receiving a QR code and payment address. But instead of paying Bitrefill, they send the cryptocurrency directly to an address controlled by the scammers. They receive nothing in return, and recovering the payment is extremely unlikely.
Why fake crypto checkouts work so well
Phishing typically involves several steps. First, an attacker has to steal a password. Then, they may have to get past two-factor authentication (2FA), log in to the account without tripping a fraud check, and find some way to turn account access into money. Plenty of scams fall apart somewhere in that chain.
This payment scam avoids those hurdles by persuading victims to send money directly to the scammers. There is no account to break into and no stolen card to use. The victim sends cryptocurrency straight to an address the scammers control, and cryptocurrency payments generally cannot be reversed or charged back.
The payment request also fits the situation. A demand for cryptocurrency might look suspicious on many websites, but Bitrefill genuinely accepts it. On a convincing copy of its checkout, paying with cryptocurrency appears completely normal.
All this may explain why we found a cluster of fake sites rather than a single page, with checkouts allowing payments of up to $1,990.
What the fake checkout looks like
The site we examined is a close copy of Bitrefill’s checkout, hosted on a domain built by bolting a word onto the brand name. Everything a customer would expect is present. The branding is right, the layout matches, the page is quick and polished, and the payment flow behaves exactly the way the real one does.
The fake checkout asks for an email address and links to terms of service and a privacy policy, helping it look legitimate.
You’re asked for an email address for order updates, with links to terms of service and a privacy policy. You then choose how to pay, from a list offering Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDC, USDT, Solana, and Litecoin. The site also offers card payments for a small surcharge.
The fake checkout offers several cryptocurrencies and appears to support card payments.
Next, you pick an amount, with preset buttons and a maximum of $1,990, although inconsistent currency symbols offer a small clue that something is wrong.
The fake checkout accepts payments of up to $1,990.
Finally, you reach a payment screen showing a QR code, an address marked for one-time use, the amount converted into your chosen cryptocurrency, and a countdown clock giving you just under an hour to send the funds.
The final screen provides a cryptocurrency address and QR code, along with a countdown timer .
None of those elements is a red flag on its own. Unique addresses, expiry timers, and currency conversion are all normal for crypto checkouts, which is exactly why the copy is convincing. Every pressure cue on the page is borrowed from legitimate payment systems.
The only meaningful difference is the address the money goes to, and by the time the victim sends the cryptocurrency, getting it back is extremely unlikely.
How people are reaching these pages
The distribution here does not appear to rely on email. Bitrefill has said publicly that sites copying its checkout and using similar names have been turning up in search engine results, and that its security team has been working with takedown specialists to have them removed.
The site’s configuration supports that. The fake checkout hands visitors back to a second domain in the same family, and the link it uses carries a parameter naming a search engine, suggesting the operators are tagging incoming traffic by where it came from.
There’s a detail here that deserves more attention than it usually gets. The fake checkout has commercial analytics software installed on it, the same kind of product a legitimate e-commerce team uses to measure how many visitors abandon a cart. Its presence suggests the operators want to measure and improve the number of visitors who complete a payment.
These campaigns are not opportunistic one-offs thrown together by someone hoping for a lucky hit. They’re run as businesses, measured and tuned like any other funnel, with the victim in the role of the customer.
A brand name is not a destination
The domains in this cluster use several tricks to make their addresses look convincing. Some swap one letter for a visually similar character, making the brand appear correct unless you look closely. Others add a plausible word such as pay or gift, producing addresses that resemble official payment sites. Some do both.
Several use internationalized domain names, which can contain characters from different alphabets or accented versions of Latin letters. Browsers translate these domains into an ASCII format beginning with xn--, known as Punycode. To the eye, the displayed versions can be almost indistinguishable from the genuine name.
Different domain names display as variations of “Bitrefill,” while their Punycode versions begin with xn--.
The answer is not simply to become better at spotting tiny differences. These domains are designed to defeat visual inspection, and they can be especially difficult to recognize on a phone screen. Recognizing a company name somewhere in a web address does not tell you who owns it.
Remember, seeing the right company name in a URL is not enough. Check that the actual domain is exactly the one the company uses.
What to do
Start at the website you already trust. Use a saved bookmark or carefully enter bitrefill.com yourself. If you are already making a purchase on the legitimate site, stay within that session instead of opening a checkout page from a separate search.
Treat search results for payment and checkout pages with suspicion. Scammers can buy search ads or manipulate their sites into appearing prominently. The first result is not necessarily the safest one.
Check the address bar before you send. Cryptocurrency payments generally cannot be reversed or charged back. Confirm that the main domain is exactly bitrefill.com before approving a payment.
Be wary of domains containing a brand followed by an extra word. A legitimate subdomain would place the additional wording before the company’s main domain, as in pay.example.com. An address such as example-pay.com is a completely separate domain that anyone could register.
Don’t approve wallet requests on a site you have not verified. Simply connecting a wallet does not normally transfer funds, but a fraudulent site may ask you to sign a transaction or grant token permissions that allow assets to be stolen.
If you have already sent funds, act quickly, although recovery is unlikely. Report the destination address to the exchange or wallet provider you used, report the incident to your national fraud reporting service, and notify Bitrefill so it can add the domain to its takedown efforts. Recovery services that promise to retrieve stolen cryptocurrency for an upfront fee are often follow-up scams.
Check before you click
The simplest protection against a page like this is to avoid reaching it. Malwarebytes Browser Guard is a free browser extension that blocks known scam and phishing sites, along with malicious ads and search results that lead to them.
Got a screenshot or URL of a suspected scam? Upload it to Scam Guard—built into Malwarebytes Premium Security on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android—and you’ll get a verdict and safety tips in seconds.
Indicators of compromise (IOCs)
Domains:
biterflll[.]com
bitigift[.]com
bitrefall[.]com
bitrefill-payments[.]com
bitrefill-pays[.]com
bitregift[.]com
bitregill[.]com
bitretill[.]com
bitrgift[.]com
bitrgifts[.]com
bitrnfill[.]com
bitruflli[.]com
butrefill[.]com
pay-bitregill[.]com
pay-bitrgift[.]com
pay-bitrgifts[.]com
pay-butrefill[.]com
pay-bitigift[.]com
xn--bitrefll-71a[.]com
xn--bitrefll-h2a[.]com
xn--bitrefll-pay-kfb[.]com
xn--bitrefll-pay-xfb[.]com
xn--bitrefll-q2a[.]com
xn--bitreill-cz9c[.]com
xn--bitreill-pay-yq4f[.]com
xn--btrefill-l2a[.]com
xn--pay-bitrefll-fgb[.]com
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