A user lost 6,000 XRP after falling for a scheme that promised to double their funds. The incident is part of a sharp rise in fraudulent airdrop and giveaway activity targeting XRPL users, according to former Ripple CTO David Schwartz, who posted an alert on X. Schwartz warns that nearly all such offers on social platforms are fake.
Why the scams are surging
Scammers are impersonating David Schwartz, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse, and other projects tied to the XRP Ledger. Schwartz specifically noted that anyone claiming to be him on Instagram, Telegram, or similar platforms is likely a fraudster. The goal is to trick users into sending XRP first or sharing private keys, seed phrases, or connecting wallets to phishing sites.
How scammers trick victims
Bithomp flagged a trick where scammers send unsolicited NFTs with misleading messages like 'Verification: Safe XRPL verify message' paired with hidden Buy Offers. Signing such offers can drain XRP or other assets. Wietse Wind from the Xaman wallet team urged users to cancel any unknown offers without delay. Other scams involve phishing websites that prompt users to connect wallets or approve transactions under the guise of claiming rewards — then empty the wallet. Some schemes simply ask for an upfront XRP payment with the promise of sending back more, but the return never comes.
What users can do
The scams do not exploit flaws in the XRP Ledger itself; they rely entirely on deceiving people. Schwartz stated that no legitimate organization runs surprise giveaways or asks users to send funds, share private keys, or reveal seed phrases. Users are advised to avoid unknown links, refuse to connect wallets to unverified websites, and report suspicious accounts. Tools from Bithomp and Xaman can help users review and cancel pending offers before damage is done.
Acting fast after a scam occurs may limit losses, but full recovery is rarely possible. The best defense is prevention: never trust unsolicited offers, and always double-check the source of any giveaway promotion.
