The holidays bring moments of connection—family gatherings, shared meals, and more time spent online searching for gifts and deals. Unfortunately, they also bring an uptick in scams. Fraudsters know people are busy, distracted, and often feeling generous this time of year, making the season a prime moment to target unsuspecting victims.
This year, the Tech Against Scams Coalition (TASC) is launching Scamberry Pie, a holiday initiative designed to start conversations about scam red flags. Scamberry Pie helps break that silence by making scam education approachable, memorable, and rooted in the moments where people naturally gather.
“Education is one of the strongest tools we have to protect people from scams,” said Dennis Jarosch, SVP Engineering at Ripple. “When people know what to look for, they’re better equipped to help themselves, and each other. Scamberry Pie creates a simple moment for families and communities to talk openly about warning signs, share experiences, and look out for one another.”
How to Spot a Scam: Key Red Flags
As scammers become more sophisticated, it’s critical to slow down and verify before acting. Here are common signs a crypto-related message, post, or offer may be fraudulent:
Too Good to Be True Giveaways
Promises like “Send 5 XRP and get 50 XRP back” are always fake - no legitimate company or individual runs promotions requiring you to send crypto first.
Impersonations That Look Legitimate
Fraudsters often copy:
- Company logos
- Executive profile photosVerification checkmarks
- Writing or speaking styles
- Video clips from interviews
In some cases, scammers proactively contact individuals on social platforms while posing as legitimate figures and others use AI-generated voice cloning or deepfake videos. For additional details and to confirm official Ripple corporate and executive accounts, please visit the link here.
Suspicious Links or Fake Domains
- Look for small misspellings, odd URLs, or unfamiliar extensions. If a link asks you to connect a crypto wallet, pause and verify.
Urgent or Pressure-Driven Messaging
- Scammers rely on urgency to override your judgment—phrases like “act fast” or “limited time” are red flags.
Unusual Comment Activity
- Scammers often use fake accounts to comment “This worked for me!” or “Thanks for doubling my crypto!” on fraudulent posts.
Ripple’s Approach
Ripple invests heavily in consumer protection—both by removing threats and by helping others across the industry identify them quickly. Our efforts include:
- Sophisticated malicious domain detection using a combination of homegrown and commercial tools, which has enabled Ripple to detect and take down more than 7,000 scam websites.
- A partnership with Google Safe Browsing that has prevented over 68,000 potential victims from accessing scam websites by labeling them as dangerous in Google Chrome.
- Collaboration with YouTube, resulting in the removal of over 8,000 fraudulent “Live” videos promoting crypto scams, with 85% taken down in under 90 minutes.
- Ripple’s unique threat feed, launched in 2024, which shares scam intelligence in near real time with industry partners, contributing to a 90%+ reduction in XRP lost to scams across known reports.
What To Do If You Encounter or Fall Victim to a Scam
If you come across a suspicious account, message, or website:
- Report crypto fraud to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).
- Submit malicious URLs through Google’s Safe Browsing form.
- Report impersonation accounts directly on the social platform where they appear.
Staying Safe, Together
The holidays should be a time for connection, not confusion or loss. By staying vigilant, verifying information before acting, and talking openly about online scams, we can help protect one another during a season when fraud often rises.
Ripple remains committed to educating consumers, supporting industry partnerships like Scamberry Pie, and helping people navigate the digital world with greater confidence.
Stay safe, and keep the conversation going. For more information, visit www.scamberrypie.com.
