CEO Brad Garlinghouse Raises Alarm Over Surge in Deepfake Scams Impersonating Ripple

By Tsunami 11/14/23 2:56 PM

The CEO of Ripple, Brad Garlinghouse, has once again sounded the alarm over a concerning surge in deepfake videos exploiting his likeness to promote fraudulent schemes. Expressing his dismay and concern, Garlinghouse took to social media to caution the cryptocurrency community about the proliferation of these deceptive videos.

The recent incident that triggered Garlinghouse’s response involved a deepfake video targeting XRP holders. This sophisticated creation depicted Garlinghouse endorsing a fictitious 100M XRP giveaway, falsely promising to double users’ holdings. The fraudulent video urged deposits of varying amounts of XRP, a move explicitly designed to deceive unsuspecting individuals.

There’s been an uptick in deepfake scam videos (ex below) overlaying new words with old video footage from Ripple’s events (@YouTube are you asleep at the wheel again?!). Reminder: don’t trust, verify (all approved messaging will only come from official Ripple accounts). pic.twitter.com/e30ZhOk6DW

— Brad Garlinghouse (@bgarlinghouse) November 13, 2023

Garlinghouse, in response, issued a stern warning to the XRP community, urging vigilance and emphasizing the importance of verifying information exclusively through official Ripple channels. Notably, he directed some of his frustration towards YouTube, questioning the platform’s oversight and calling for accountability in the dissemination of these misleading videos.

This isn’t the first time Garlinghouse and Ripple have encountered issues with YouTube. In 2020, they pursued legal action against the video-sharing platform, alleging its complicity in allowing scammers to perpetuate fraudulent schemes, tarnishing Ripple’s brand and reputation. Despite a settlement in 2021, where both parties agreed to collaborate in preventing and removing such scams, the recent resurgence of deepfake videos has reignited concerns about YouTube’s efficacy in curbing deceptive content.

Garlinghouse’s outcry has garnered substantial support from the crypto community, with many urging renewed legal action against YouTube due to its apparent role in facilitating the dissemination of deepfake content.

The XRP Ledger Forensics team echoed Garlinghouse’s sentiments, cautioning XRP holders to remain vigilant against deepfakes and advising against falling for enticing yet dubious “free money” schemes.

As the prevalence of deepfake technology continues to pose significant challenges to online authenticity, Garlinghouse’s advocacy for vigilance and the verification of information from official sources remains crucial. The resurgence of these fraudulent schemes emphasizes the ongoing battle against deceptive practices in the digital space and calls for heightened vigilance and collaboration among platforms, companies, and users to combat the spread of misleading content.

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