From Crypto Queen to Global Fusitive: Oncine’s Ruja Ignatova disappeared with Arabs, leading to a mystery still unresolved.
For eight years, the world has estimated the fate of Ruja Ignatova: the so -called “Cryptocwin” who disappeared with the billions after pitching oncoin, a classic Ponzi plan, which leaves behind lies, cases and a mystery that refuses to die.
Crypto.news spoke to those who have dug a deep dug in their story, where she can now be.
Born in Bulgaria in May 1980 soon on his background as a reference, Ruja Ignatova moved to Germany with his family at the age of ten, settled in Skramberg, Baden-Vortembourg. In 2005, he pursued higher education with Gaurav, receiving a doctorate in private international law from the University of Constance in 2005. He even had a brief educational tenure at the University of Oxford.
Before being infamous as “Cryptocwin”, Ignatova worked as an advisor in McKiny & Company. However, his business undertakings soon took a suspicious turn. In 2012, he and his father, Plamen Ignatov were convicted of fraud in Germany Connected For the acquisition of a firm and later bankruptcy.
“Next bitcoin”
This may not be widely known, but was not the first venture of Ignatova in Oncoin Crypto.
In 2013, she was involved in a multi-tier marketing scam called BigCoine. Reports prompt The Big Cine was launched by John NG and was located in Hong Kong, in which the project was marketed using the general MLM Cryptocurrency Pitch: “We are going to be the next bitcoin.”
It is not clear when, but at some point, the project was included in himself by Ronnie Scold, Sebastian Greenwood, Nigel Allen and Ruja Ignatova. Long story Chhoti, Big Cine did not make it, as it became a simple Ponzi plan, working without a blockchain. As of 2014, Ignatova left BigCine to co-founder of a new venture with Sebstian Greenwood, known as Oncoin to the world.
Second attempt
While Ruja was the mastermind behind the Ignatova project, Sebastian Greenwood was an important person in the operation of the onecoin. Unlike Ignatova, however, Greenwood Arrested In 2018 and 20 years of prison was sentenced.
Two branded onecoin as a revolutionary cryptocurrency were set to kill bitcoins. Through high-profile events and inspiring marketing, he assured thousands-to increase millions-to increase the estimated $ 4 billion globally. And yet, like BigCoin, Onecoin was also not working on any blockchain, causing the project accident three years after the launch.
Is running?
Ignatova disappeared as soon as the officials doubled their investigation. In October 2017, she boarded a flight from Bulgaria, Greece and disappeared. without a trace. Over the years, theory about his fate ranges from surgical changes to mafia murders. Some reports also suggested that he was killed on a boat in the Indian Sea on the orders of a Bulgarian offense, his body allegedly disintegrated and abandoned.
There are also rumors that Ignatova can actually be on the run in South Africa, Dubai or even Russia.
German documentary filmmaker Johan Von Mirback, who directed the 2022 investigative “”The Cryptocwin – The Great OneCoine Fraud“In an interview with Crypto.news, Mirbach said that he does not believe in principles about his death, because there are many” unsuccessful efforts to keep false tracks about his hideout. “
“I have spoken to security sources from South Africa and Germany. Where she can hide in South Africa, is under investigation. But no one can tell where he really is. She can be in South Africa, in Dubai or – as you claim – in Russia or elsewhere. I am sure he is still alive because there are lots of unsuccessful attempts to keep a false track about his hideout. ,
Johan von Mirabac
In June 2022, FBI Kept Ignatova was offering a reward of $ 100,000 for the leading information for his arrest, initially in his ten most wanted foggy list. By June 2024, the reward was $ 5 million. While the whereabouts of Ignatova are not clear, the legal proceedings around their names continue till these days.
new opportunity
For example, in August 2024, High Court of London Released A worldwide freeze order on assets associated with Ignatova and her colleagues, after revelations that Oncine promoters invested in luxury properties in the United Arab Emirates, including a $ 2.7 million penthouse in Dubai.
By the end of 2024, investigators focused on their discovery in Cape Town, South Africa, with speculation that she was living in a special enclave under a false identity.
However, in November 2024, the new reports suggested that Ignatova may be hidden in Russia instead. According to journalist Yordan Tslov, who specializes in Kremlin affairs and has worked with a Netherland -based investigative group, Bellingcat, Ignatova has a relationship with individuals associated with the Russian government.
Tslov says that these links were confirmed by former Ignatova security advisor, Frank Schneider, a former Swiss intelligence officer, which was hired and later hired Interview By Tslov for the BBC series.
Commenting on the scale of the Onecoin scam, Mirbach says that the Crypto industry is an “incredible place” not only for new businesses but also for those criminals who can get “with” simple analog fraud “.
“They can only bring their scam to another level. The same system that promotes and promotes online/digital business boots online fraud. The dacoits will also always go to unnecessary and irregular markets and follow what they are coming. ,
Johan von Mirabac
Now, Mirback says that he is just “waiting for the first AI-powered fraud which is coming with this new opportunity.”
