Ripple Warns of XRP Scams: Fake Livestreams Target Community

On November 12, RippleX’s security team took to social media platform X to warn about an emerging threat: bad actors using fake Ripple or XRP livestreams, giveaways, and deepfake videos to target community members. These sophisticated schemes are specifically designed to deceive users into sending their funds to fraudulent addresses, typically by offering promises of substantial returns or exclusive rewards in exchange for participation. The company explicitly stated that its employees will never ask users to transfer assets, share wallet data, or join investment streams, emphasizing the critical importance of verifying information through official company channels.

The warning concluded with a straightforward but crucial reminder to the XRP Army: “Keep your XRP yours.” This direct messaging underscores the seriousness of the threat and the need for constant vigilance within the cryptocurrency community, where scams have become increasingly sophisticated and difficult to detect without proper verification protocols.

This latest security alert follows a similar warning issued by Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse over the summer, when fraudsters targeted the XRP community on YouTube by impersonating the company’s official account. Garlinghouse noted that scammers were stealing existing YouTube accounts and updating the pages to impersonate Ripple’s official channel, complete with the username “Ripple.” This tactic leverages the credibility of established platforms to lend false legitimacy to fraudulent schemes.

In his previous warning, Garlinghouse reinforced the same critical message: “Ripple or our execs will NEVER ask you to send us XRP.” He assured the community that the company’s security team would actively report these fraudulent accounts and urged community members to do the same. The CEO also recalled the timeless investment wisdom that every cryptocurrency investor should remember: “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” This recurring pattern of attacks demonstrates that scammers consistently target communities with strong engagement and loyalty.

The targeting of Ripple and XRP represents just one facet of a broader trend affecting major cryptocurrency projects with dedicated communities. Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, has faced similar challenges, with CEO Richard Teng recently warning users about phishing scams proliferating on the messaging platform WhatsApp. Teng emphasized that “Binance will never message you in groups about investments or funds” and urged users to “verify first” when encountering suspicious communications.

Similarly, the SHIB Army supporting Shiba Inu has frequently been targeted by malicious actors who impersonate the meme coin’s logo and offer “special” promotions designed to lure unsuspecting investors. In some particularly insidious cases, scammers have even used token airdrops—typically considered legitimate distribution methods—as vehicles for deception and fund embezzlement. These coordinated attacks across multiple major cryptocurrency communities highlight the systematic nature of these fraudulent operations and their focus on projects with passionate, engaged followings.

The consistent theme across all these security warnings is the importance of verification and skepticism. Both Ripple and Binance have emphasized that legitimate company representatives will never initiate contact requesting asset transfers, wallet information, or participation in investment schemes. The rise of deepfake technology and sophisticated impersonation tactics makes visual and auditory verification increasingly unreliable, shifting the burden to official communication channels for confirmation.

For cryptocurrency investors, the fundamental protection remains unchanged: always verify through official websites and social media channels, never share private keys or wallet information, and maintain healthy skepticism toward offers that promise unrealistic returns. As these security alerts from Ripple, Binance, and other major projects demonstrate, the cryptocurrency landscape remains fraught with sophisticated threats that require constant vigilance from both companies and community members to protect digital assets from determined bad actors.