Ripple has issued a fresh warning to the XRP community after a fake Instagram account impersonating CEO Brad Garlinghouse surfaced online, promoting a fraudulent giveaway.
Summary
A fake Instagram account posed as Brad Garlinghouse and pushed an XRP giveaway scam.
David Schwartz warned users that Ripple executives will never ask for funds online.
Ripple reiterated that scams involving fake accounts, deepfakes, and giveaways remain widespread.
Fake CEO account triggers alert
The impersonation attempt involved a fraudulent Instagram account pretending to be Brad Garlinghouse. The account reportedly contacted users directly, encouraging them to participate in an XRP giveaway scheme.
David Schwartz flagged the incident on social media, referencing a similar scam from 2019 that followed the same pattern.
Classic crypto giveaway scam
The scam used a familiar tactic: asking users to send a certain amount of XRP with the false promise of receiving a larger amount in return.
Such schemes often exploit the identities of well-known figures to build credibility. In this case, scammers used Brad Garlinghouse’s name and likeness to mislead users.
These scams are frequently amplified through fake accounts, deepfake videos, and impersonated support channels, making them appear more legitimate.
Ripple reiterates safety guidance
Ripple has once again emphasized that it will never ask users to send funds or share sensitive information.
The company warned that:
It does not run official giveaway campaigns requiring payment.
It does not request wallet details, passwords, or personal data.
It does not operate official support channels on platforms like Telegram.
Users are urged to treat any message requesting funds or promising guaranteed returns as a scam.
Ongoing threat to crypto users
This latest incident adds to a growing list of scams targeting XRP holders and the broader crypto community.
Despite repeated warnings, impersonation and giveaway frauds remain among the most common tactics used by cybercriminals, highlighting the need for continued vigilance.
