XRP holders are facing an escalating security threat on social media, as fraudulent accounts increasingly exploit the community’s interest in the cryptocurrency through fake giveaways, airdrops, and reward schemes.
Notably, XRP Ledger Foundation community director and validator Hussein Zangana, known as Vet on X, estimates that approximately 11.5 million posts targeting XRP users with fraudulent reward and airdrop promises appeared on the platform over the past 30 days.
In a November 10 post, Vet said he arrived at the figure after analyzing activity through X’s API. The estimate translates to approximately 383,000 posts daily, or nearly 16,000 every hour.
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The campaigns typically promise free XRP, exclusive token allocations, or special rewards to attract unsuspecting holders.
Victims are then directed to external websites, where they may be asked to connect their wallets, authorize transactions or disclose sensitive recovery information.
Scammer’s mode of operations
The problem extends beyond automated spam accounts and suspicious promotional posts. Fraudsters have also exploited trusted identities and established social media accounts to make fraudulent campaigns appear legitimate.
In one case, Ireland’s national police account on X was compromised in October and used to promote a fraudulent XRP and Xaman airdrop.
The verified account had nearly 300,000 followers, potentially exposing a substantial audience to the scam.
Former Ripple chief technology officer David Schwartz also warned in May about a significant escalation in fake XRP giveaways and airdrop schemes.
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Xaman founder Wietse Wind has separately raised concerns about fraudulent wallet applications and nonexistent XRP airdrops.
Some campaigns have resulted in substantial financial losses. In June, an XRP holder reportedly lost 14,646 XRP after approving a payment request disguised as a reward verification process.
FBI’s warnings on crypto scams
The threat is not exclusive to the XRP ecosystem, with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) having previously warned cryptocurrency users about fraudulent airdrops advertised through social media, third-party websites, and phishing emails.
In a June 2025 public service announcement, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) explained how criminals use fake token rewards to direct victims to malicious websites.
These platforms may request wallet connections, passwords or recovery phrases under the pretext of distributing free tokens.
Once obtained, the information can allow criminals to access victims’ wallets and transfer their cryptocurrency.
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The FBI advised users to verify unsolicited reward offers directly with the relevant cryptocurrency provider and never disclose passwords, seed phrases or one-time verification codes.
Featured image via Shutterstock
