Ripple CTO David Schwartz Warns XRP Users About Phishing Scam Targeting Coinbase

XRP rises to $2.36 before dipping slightly amid ongoing crypto market activity

David Schwartz, Ripple’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO), has warned his followers on X (formerly Twitter) regarding a scam involving Coinbase accounts. Schwartz, known as @JoelKatz on the platform, allegedly shared an email he received from Coinbase support. The email requested users to follow a link to update their account details. The message emphasized that keeping account information current would help provide a smoother user experience.

Schwartz cautioned his followers not to engage with the email, stressing that it was a phishing attempt. He advised the XRP community: “If you see an email that looks like this, it’s a scam.” The warning has sparked a wave of gratitude within the community, with many XRP users thanking Schwartz for his timely alert.

The XRP community has welcomed Schwartz’s warning positively. A large account with more than 217,000 followers of the XRP theme, @BankXRP, thanked Schwartz and indicated that such messages are essential to inform the community about possible threats. The account tweeted: “It’s really great that you do this David along with some of the other large X accounts to help protect the community.” Influential crypto industry figures like Schwartz are crucial in guiding users through scams that fraudsters can execute to steal from holders.

The expansion of fraudulent activities and phishing attempts is of increasing concern for both old and new crypto enthusiasts. Schwartz’s warning also contributes to the list of recent statements made by community leaders who remain engaged in informing their followers how to recognize and prevent danger. With the rise of adoption, scams are as persistent a problem as ever, and it is up to platforms and individuals with large followings to ensure their users are safe.

Besides the scam warning, Schwartz has also informed the community about the possible dangers of crypto airdrops. Airdrops, which are free distributions of tokens to users, can seem innocent, but they can lead to financial problems for users. Schwartz also pointed out that airdrops are taxable in the U.S. and other countries that recognize tokens as income.

Airdrops are legal in many states, but taxation of these tokens can be challenging at times. A cryptocurrency holder may be liable for taxes right after receiving the airdrop, as revenue services consider such tokens taxable income. This advice from Schwartz is handy for reminding crypto users of tax issues that govern the ownership and use of cryptocurrencies. While airdrops do not pose the risk of scams, users should exercise certain precautions while dealing with such assets, especially regarding taxation.

In the market, XRP has been slightly volatile in the last few days. On Friday, the cryptocurrency rose to 2.36 from 2.27, a 3.9% increase. Despite slight price drops in the last 24 hours, XRP remains one of the largest cryptocurrencies in terms of market capitalization, at $2.34050.