The search for Cryptoqueen Ruja Ignatova, the mastermind behind the infamous OneCoin Ponzi scheme, has taken a new turn as recent investigations suggest she may be hiding in South Africa. German detectives have uncovered leads indicating that Ignatova, a Bulgarian national who disappeared in October 2017 after defrauding millions of investors, could be residing in an upscale neighborhood near Cape Town.
The investigation, as reported by The Times, has revealed that Ignatova’s brother, Konstantin, has made multiple visits to Cape Town since her disappearance, leading to speculations that he may have been receiving instructions from his sister. Konstantin, who took over OneCoin operations after Ruja fled, later cooperated with the FBI and served a three-year prison sentence in the U.S. He claimed that Ruja absconded with £500 million, funding her escape and securing fake identities.
The documentary ‘Die Kryptoqueen’ also explored potential links between Ignatova and Bulgarian organized crime figures, such as Hristoforos Nikos Amanatidis, who is alleged to have used OneCoin to launder proceeds from criminal activities. Despite earlier claims of Ignatova’s murder in 2018, investigations have failed to substantiate these allegations.
Duncan Arthur, a key insider in Ignatova’s operation, revealed that Konstantin continued to communicate with his sister after her disappearance. This information, along with evidence gathered by German authorities, has led to the belief that Ignatova is still alive and evading capture.
The OneCoin scam, which ran from 2014 to 2017, defrauded investors of approximately $4.3 billion by promising high returns through a fake cryptocurrency that was not built on any blockchain. While Ignatova remains at large, several of her accomplices have been arrested and sentenced for their roles in the scheme.
Ignatova currently faces charges of wire and securities fraud in multiple countries, including the U.S., Germany, Bulgaria, and India. The FBI has listed her as one of its top ten most wanted fugitives and has raised the reward for information leading to her arrest to $5 million. The agency suspects that Ignatova may have undergone plastic surgery to alter her appearance in order to evade capture.
As the search for Cryptoqueen Ruja Ignatova continues, authorities are working tirelessly to bring her to justice and hold her accountable for the massive financial fraud perpetrated through the OneCoin Ponzi scheme.