Ripple is sounding the alarm. Fake Telegram accounts are popping up everywhere, impersonating Ripple executives and targeting XRP investors. And yes, people are falling for it.
Here’s the setup. Scammers create accounts using Ripple branding, Brad Garlinghouse’s photos, and official-looking usernames. They slide into DMs, posing as recruiters, customer support, or company employees. Their goal? Get personal information. Get crypto. Disappear.
Ripple has been crystal clear about one thing. There is no official Telegram channel for Ripple support. None. The company does not contact users through unofficial channels, period. If someone claiming to be from Ripple reaches out on Telegram, that’s a scammer. Full stop.
Ripple is firm on this: no official Telegram support exists. Anyone reaching out there claiming otherwise is a scammer.
The tactics are getting more sophisticated, which is a polite way of saying terrifying. Deepfake videos mimicking Garlinghouse have circulated on YouTube and Telegram. Fake livestreams timed perfectly with XRP events. Fraudulent giveaway schemes promising massive returns for sending XRP first. Classic stuff, honestly, except people keep losing money.
The FTC reported cryptocurrency fraud jumped 60% in 2025, with impersonation scams alone responsible for nearly $2.1 billion in losses. Millions of those dollars came from XRP investors specifically targeted through giveaway scams. In 2021 alone, crypto scams and user errors resulted in a staggering $3.78 billion in losses, underscoring how long this threat has been growing.
The timing makes sense, unfortunately. XRP Ledger now holds over 7.7 million wallets. Institutional adoption is growing. Ripple scored regulatory wins recently. Every piece of good news becomes ammunition for fraudsters looking to exploit excited, sometimes naive investors. The SEC’s recent classification of XRP as not a security has further energized the community, giving scammers yet another milestone to exploit.
Ripple isn’t sitting around watching this happen. The company has been working directly with Telegram to remove fraudulent accounts, coordinating with major exchanges to flag suspicious activity, and posting public alerts on X reminding everyone that Ripple will never ask for XRP.
They also launched a new two-step verification feature on March 22 and published step-by-step reporting instructions on their official website.
RippleX specifically issued warnings about impersonation accounts. The message is consistent and blunt. Verify everything through official Ripple platforms before trusting any communication. Scammers frequently misuse genuine Ripple videos to craft convincing fake offers that lure unsuspecting investors.
Scammers are counting on confusion. Ripple is counting on people paying attention. Right now, that’s the whole game.
