Usman Salis
Ripple's CTO David Schwartz just warned XRP holders about fake Instagram accounts pretending to be him, as crypto scams keep getting worse.
XRP folks need to hear this one. David Schwartz, the guy who runs tech stuff at Ripple, just put out a warning that's pretty important. Someone on X claimed he had a verified Instagram account, which made Schwartz jump in real quick to shut that down.
"I do not post to Instagram. Any profile you see there that claims to be me is a scam," he said straight up. Simple as that – if you see "David Schwartz" on Instagram, it's fake. These scammers are getting sneaky, and they're using people's trust in Ripple executives to pull off their schemes.
This isn't just some random warning either. XRP gets tons of attention since it's one of the biggest cryptos out there, so naturally, scammers want a piece of that action. They know people listen when Ripple's CTO talks, so they're trying to cash in by pretending to be him.
XRP (Ripple) Holders Face More Than Just Instagram Fakes
The Instagram thing is just the tip of the iceberg. Ripple recently warned about YouTube scams too, where fraudsters actually steal real accounts and rebrand them to look like Ripple's official page. Pretty clever, but also really dangerous if you're not paying attention.
Here's the golden rule: Ripple and its executives will never ask you to send them XRP. Ever. If someone claiming to be from Ripple wants your crypto, it's a scam – no questions asked.
These giveaway scams are everywhere now. They'll take over legit social media accounts and use that credibility to trick followers into sending money to their wallets. Once your crypto's gone, good luck getting it back.
The scam game has gotten wild lately. We're talking exit scams where entire projects vanish, fake job offers that are actually phishing attempts, and even romance scams where people build fake relationships just to steal your coins.
How XRP (Ripple) Community Can Stay Safe
Ripple tried to help by publishing a list of their real social media accounts. They made it crystal clear that Schwartz only has an official presence on X – that's it, nowhere else. The fact they had to do this shows how bad the impersonation problem has gotten.
For XRP holders, the advice is pretty basic: don't trust, verify. If you see what looks like an official Ripple account asking for crypto or promising giveaways, stop and check through official channels first. These scammers count on people acting fast without thinking.
What's scary is how good these fakes are getting. They're not just random accounts with obvious fake names anymore. These guys create detailed profiles, steal real photos, and even copy how the real person writes. The only way to stay safe is to always double-check before you engage with any crypto-related posts.
Bottom line – if it sounds too good to be true or someone's rushing you to act "right now," it probably is a scam. Real companies don't operate that way, especially when they're asking for your money.
Usman Salis
