No, OpenAI isn’t giving select users special access to ChatGPT-4o with a "Legacy Program"

A fake screenshot claiming OpenAI is granting select users permanent access to GPT-4o has been making the rounds online, and it’s designed to mess with people who are still upset about losing their favorite AI model. The fabricated image shows what appears to be an email from OpenAI’s support team announcing a “GPT-4o Legacy Access Program” that doesn’t actually exist.

A user on X called out the fake screenshot, warning the #Keep4o community not to fall for it. “There’s a FAKE email screenshot doing rounds,” they posted, urging people to stay safe and avoid clicking suspicious links that might follow.

OpenAI officially retired GPT-4o on February 13, triggering massive backlash from devoted fans who felt genuine attachment to the model.

The #Keep4o movement, which we highlighted earlier this month, has attracted over 21,500 signatures on a Change.org petition. People aren’t just annoyed about a software change. They formed real emotional connections with how GPT-4o communicated, and scammers (or even trolls) seem to be attempting to exploit that vulnerability.

The fake screenshot has some glaring mistakes. Multiple users noticed it refers to the model as “GPT-40” instead of “GPT-4o,” which OpenAI would never get wrong in official communications. The fabricated message claims recipients were selected based on their “engagement patterns” and grants them permanent access regardless of future model transitions.

It’s clearly bait that was designed to make people who didn’t receive anything feel left out or angry.

This type of scam can work in different ways. Someone might create the fake screenshot just to upset the community and watch people react. Others could use it as a setup for actual phishing attempts, following up with malicious links claiming people need to “activate” their legacy access.

We recently covered a similar scam targeting Discord users with fake age verification messages, showing how these tactics keep evolving.

In short, no, OpenAI isn’t running any “Legacy Program” where it’s giving select users extended access to the model. The only way to access 4o right now is through platforms that offer the model via API. For instance, there’s now a whole website dedicated to providing users access to ChatGPT-4o via the official API. It’s dubbed keep4o.me. P.S. It requires you to pay for access, which is expected since OpenAI charges for API usage.

That said, this is not an endorsement, and you must use the platform at your own risk.

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