Fake ChatGPT or Midjourney download sites install password-stealing malware on your computer
Criminals create fake download pages impersonating ChatGPT, Midjourney, Sora, and other AI tools. Victims find these sites via sponsored search ads or slightly misspelled URLs. Downloading installs credential-stealing malware that empties saved passwords and crypto wallets.
Also known as: fake ChatGPT download malware, fake AI tool download scam, ChatGPT installer malware, fake Midjourney desktop app, AI tool phishing malware
Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes
- 1 Call your bank or card's fraud line right now. Use the number on the back of your card — not any number from the message or caller. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment and freeze the account.
- 2 If you paid by gift card, wire, or an app (Zelle, Venmo, Cash App): contact that company immediately and report it as fraud. Acting fast sometimes recovers the money.
- 3 Report to the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The sooner, the better.
- ! If you installed any "support", "server", "refund", or remote-access app at their request (AnyDesk, TeamViewer, Quick Support, etc.): disconnect the internet now, then run free SeraphSecure (https://www.seraphsecure.com) to detect and remove it.
What to do right now
- 1 Only access AI tools through their official websites typed directly into your browser: ChatGPT at chat.openai.com, Claude at claude.ai, Midjourney at midjourney.com — do not install desktop apps from third-party sites
- 2 If you installed anything claiming to be a ChatGPT or Midjourney desktop app from a non-official source, treat all your saved passwords as compromised immediately
- 3 Change passwords for all important accounts (email, banking, crypto) from a DIFFERENT, clean device — not the one you downloaded from
- 4 If you hold cryptocurrency, move funds to a new wallet immediately from a clean device — Odyssey Stealer and similar malware specifically target crypto wallets
- 5 Run a reputable malware scanner to detect and remove the installer (Windows Defender, Malwarebytes, or equivalent)
- 6 If you installed any 'support' or 'server' or 'refund app' or remote-access app at the scammer's request (AnyDesk, TeamViewer, Quick Support, etc.), run free SeraphSecure (https://www.seraphsecure.com) to detect and remove it.
- 7 Report to the FTC at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov and the FBI's IC3 at https://www.ic3.gov.
Was remote-access software installed?
If a scammer asked you to install AnyDesk, TeamViewer, Quick Support, or any remote-access app, your device may still be compromised.
Run SeraphSecure to detect and remove it →Red flags
- ⚠ You found the download page via a sponsored search ad rather than by typing the official URL — scammers buy these ads to intercept searches like 'ChatGPT download' or 'Midjourney desktop app'
- ⚠ The domain is slightly off from the real one (chatgtp.com, openai-chatgpt.net, midjourneyai.net) — always verify you are on the real site (chat.openai.com; no standalone desktop installer exists)
- ⚠ The site offers a 'ChatGPT 5,' 'DALL-E 3,' or 'Sora' desktop installer — none of these have been released as standalone downloadable apps from unofficial sources
- ⚠ After installing, your browser starts behaving oddly, passwords are changed on accounts you didn't touch, or crypto disappears from your wallet
- ⚠ A phishing email warns your ChatGPT Plus or Claude subscription will be cancelled unless you 'update payment' via a link — neither OpenAI nor Anthropic sends subscription warnings this way
Sources
- Malwarebytes — Fake ChatGPT download site infects Windows and Mac users with malware (May 2026)
- HackRead — Fake ChatGPT Desktop App Ads Used to Push Password-Stealing Malware (Jun 2026)
- Bitdefender — Beware! Fake ChatGPT browser extensions are stealing your login credentials
- Cybersecurity News — Threat Actors Abuse ChatGPT, Claude, and DeepSeek Brands as Phishing Lures (2026)
- Google — June 2026 Fraud and Scams Advisory
- allaboutcookies.org — The ChatGPT Download Scam That Works Even When You Do Everything Right (2026)
- Malwarebytes — AI Scams 2026 Report