On the XRP Ledger (XRPL), an XRP holder lost about 14,600 XRP in a scam disguised as a verification process. The attacker appeared to have lured the victim with messages that looked like a normal verification step and a promise of high-return rewards.

According to blockchain media outlet U.Today on June 22, an XRP holder was tricked by a fake verification message and sent 14,646 XRP. The loss was reported to be worth about $16,800.

The case began with a message that looked like a normal payment request. The victim sent XRP to an unverified wallet address, and the transaction memo included the phrase "Safe XRPL verify message." The phrase appeared to be part of a safe authentication or verification process, but it was confirmed to be a device intended to lower the user's guard.

The issue was that the receiving wallet address was already marked as a scam wallet on an XRPL explorer. The victim trusted the message and proceeded with the transfer. By the time the transaction was completed, most of the funds had already been withdrawn, leaving little chance of recovery.

According to an investigative account, the attacker promised the victim a 10 percent monthly return and pushed for a quick decision. The explanation that it was a necessary confirmation step to receive the reward was seen as a way to prevent the user from further checking the authenticity of the transaction.

The incident is assessed as a typical social engineering technique that combines psychological trust-building and urgency, going beyond simple phishing. The attacker used wording that implied safety and official status, leading the victim to mistake it for a legitimate process. The victim appeared to have accepted it as an authentication procedure.

Experts warn that users should not judge a transaction's authenticity based only on messages or memo text on the XRPL. They stressed that when users are told they must send funds first to receive a reward, or are asked to respond quickly, they should first suspect a scam.

They also advised that users should check before sending funds that a wallet address is linked to an official institution or a verified service. Funds sent to addresses already classified as scam wallets are virtually impossible to recover due to the nature of blockchain.

The case shows that a social engineering approach combining reward promises with disguised verification steps remains effective, more than complex hacking techniques. The XRP community is being urged to watch for similar cases.