Ruja Ignatova, a Bulgarian entrepreneur with ties to Oxford, created a phony cryptocurrency called OneCoin. This elaborate scam bilked investors out of billions and landed her on the FBI’s most wanted list.
Summary:
This investigative report delves into the mysterious disappearance of Ruja Ignatova, the founder of the fraudulent cryptocurrency OneCoin. Accused of swindling investors out of billions, Ignatova vanished in 2017, leaving a trail of unanswered questions. The BBC explores her alleged connections to Bulgarian organized crime figures and investigates rumors of her demise.
Unraveling the Missing Cryptoqueen’s Bulgarian Underworld Ties
- Ruja Ignatova, a Bulgarian-German entrepreneur, established OneCoin in 2014, promising outlandish returns to lure investors.
- Unlike legitimate cryptocurrencies, OneCoin lacked the transparency and digital record-keeping, raising suspicions of a Ponzi scheme.
- As authorities in Germany and the US tightened the net around Ignatova in late 2017, she mysteriously disappeared after a flight from Sofia to Athens.
- BBC’s investigation uncovers a close associate of Ignatova, previously undisclosed by law enforcement.
- The report examines the possibility of Ignatova enjoying her ill-gotten gains or facing a violent end at the hands of her supposed protectors within the Bulgarian underworld.