XRP News Today: Ripple CEO Warns of XRP Scams on YouTube After Price Surges to $3.66, Then Drops 13% to $3.19

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has raised urgent concerns about a surge in fraudulent XRP-related activities on YouTube, warning of fake giveaways and impersonation schemes that exploit the platform’s reach to deceive investors. The scams, which intensified following XRP’s recent price rally, involve hijacked accounts mimicking Ripple’s branding and misleading users into believing they are part of legitimate promotions. One active scam, reported on July 16, promised a free XRP giveaway through a video promoted by an account with 176,000 subscribers, falsely appearing to be endorsed by Ripple. Garlinghouse emphasized that Ripple would never solicit XRP transfers or promote such offers, urging users to verify sources and avoid “offers that seem too good to be true” [1].

The fraudulent activity leverages tactics such as hijacking YouTube accounts and using Punycode attacks to mimic legitimate domains, while Google search results for crypto-related terms have been found to prioritize scam ads, complicating user navigation [3]. Ripple highlighted these vulnerabilities as systemic issues within online platforms, where lax verification processes enable impersonation and misinformation. Garlinghouse reiterated that the growing visibility and volatility of XRP have created an environment where bad actors thrive, urging greater user vigilance [2].

XRP’s price surge to $3.66 on July 18—nearly matching its 2018 high of $3.84—coincided with the rise in scams, a pattern historically linked to increased fraudulent activity. The token retreated to $3.19 in the following 24 hours, reflecting market volatility that attracts both genuine investors and malicious actors [4]. Ripple’s CEO noted that heightened attention to XRP has amplified misinformation risks, stressing the need for collaboration between platforms and regulators to strengthen safeguards [5].

This is not the first instance of such tactics. In 2020, Ripple filed a lawsuit against YouTube over similar impersonation schemes, including spear-phishing attacks involving hacked accounts promoting fake giveaways. The case was resolved in 2021 after the platform agreed to address the issue. Garlinghouse criticized social platforms for still falling short in curbing these schemes, calling for continuous adaptation to evolving threats [5].

The broader crypto industry faces systemic challenges as price surges create fertile ground for fraud. Losses from crypto scams reached a record $2.1 billion in the first half of 2025, surpassing the 2022 record of $2 billion. Analysts predict XRP’s price could rise further but caution that market corrections remain possible [4]. Ripple’s intervention reflects ongoing efforts to combat misinformation and advocate for a more secure ecosystem, though the persistence of scams underscores the limitations of existing safeguards [6].

Sources:

[1] [Ripple CEO Sounds the Alarm Over YouTube XRP Scam](https://u.today/ripple-ceo-sounds-the-alarm-over-youtube-xrp-scam)

[2] [Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse Raises Alarm Over Rising...](https://cryptonews.net/news/security/31308160/)

[3] [Pro tip for DeFi users: Stop using Google search for crypto sites...](https://cointelegraph.com/news/ripple-warns-xrp-scams-youtube-impersonators-rise)

[4] [XRP Pulls Back After Technical Surge; Pattern...](https://coinstats.app/news/498e989247f685cb77a998e3b3b2bfe7d749213345db2245a5db9a032f2bed6_XRP-Pulls-Back-After-Technical-Surge-Pattern-Still-Points-to-6-Target)

[5] [Ripple Sounds Alarm on YouTube Scams After Crypto Price Spike](https://cointelegraph.com/news/ripple-warns-xrp-scams-youtube-impersonators-rise)

[6] [Ripple Sounds Alarm on YouTube Scams After Crypto Price Spike](https://cointelegraph.com/news/ripple-warns-xrp-scams-youtube-impersonators-rise)