By Tobi Loba
A Netherland-based XRP developer, Wietse Wind, tweeted on 4th October about a trending scam that lures XRP holders into sending their tokens to a fake tool to claim free Spark tokens.
How Scammers Are Fooling XRP Holders
Presently, XRP holders can set up their accounts to claim the native token of Flare Networks. The airdrop will commence after the snapshot of their addresses on Dec. 12, 2020.
Wietse Wind who was appointed recently as a board member of the recently launched XRPL Foundation developed a tool for self-custodied holders who make use of XUMM wallet or Ledger Nano, a popular cold wallet.
Read Also: XRP Ledger-Based Application XUMM is Now Available in Beta Version
In case you don’t have an Ethereum-compatible address, you would have to create one and specify on the MessageKey field on the XRPL for the verification of ownership.
Explaining the peculiarity of the scam, Wind stated that fraudsters are already coming up with copies of his legitimate website on other domains where gullible users are asked to send XRP to claim Spark tokens.
One of such fake websites was registered through Namecheap with providers being asked by users to block the phishing scam. It is essential to note that the real tool will NOT ask you to deposit any advanced token.
Wietse Wind wrote, “Warning! If someone pretends to host something (like my flare.wietse.com tool) and it’s not on Wietse.com (DOT COM(!!)) IT IS FAKE, A SCAM! As we speak scammers are trying to get users to send their funds on flare dot wietse dot io, and other domains.”
Read Also: Over 14 Million XRP Deposited on CoinLoan within the First Week of Listing
Watch out for sketchy Telegram groups as well
It is officially the first time that scammers will target the participants of the Spark airdrop. Sometime around late September, Flare Networks discovered a fake Telegram channel that was attempting to lure XRP holders into hoarding their tokens in a single address when claiming FXRP tokens.
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