Ripple CTO Emeritus David Schwartz has sent a fresh warning to the crypto community, as impersonation scams continue across social media.
This time, Schwartz warned an X user that there was a 90% chance of interacting with an imposter on Instagram rather than with him.
An X user had engaged with the Ripple CTO Emeritus’s comment on X about having a Facebook account that he posts to maybe once every few months. This followed an earlier post by the Ripple CTO Emeritus, which notified the crypto community of a huge escalation in airdrop and giveaway scams targeting $XRP Ledger users.
In this regard, Schwartz warned that anyone claiming to be him on Instagram, Telegram, or almost anywhere else is likely a scammer. He, however, noted the presence of a Facebook account which he rarely uses. Schwartz shared this Facebook account.
Engaging with Schwartz’s post, an X user asked the Ripple CTO Emeritus not to forget his Instagram account. Schwartz responded, saying he “hasn’t used it in years.” This suggests he has no active presence on Instagram. The X user added that he had sent the Ripple CTO Emeritus a message on Instagram. Schwartz pointed out that the Instagram account might belong to an imposter.
90% chance you’re talking to an imposter.
— David ‘JoelKatz’ Schwartz (@JoelKatz) July 18, 2026
“90% chance you’re talking to an imposter,” Schwartz said. This reiterates the warning he has shared many times, as scammers continue to impersonate companies such as Ripple and its executives by posting images on social media platforms like X, Facebook, and Instagram.
Scam warning issued
Impersonation scams remain one of the most common threats in the crypto market, where scammers use the names and profile pictures of top industry leaders to appear legitimate. They contact unsuspecting users through direct messages, asking them to send cryptocurrency, click on fake links, connect their wallets, or share personal information under the guise of investment opportunities or support.
Ripple has often pointed out an uptick in $XRP scams on YouTube, where scammers steal accounts and then update the pages to impersonate Ripple’s official account, warning that it and its executives will never ask users to send $XRP.