The manager of the database could go in and change it at will. [25] The FBI followed up with an episode of its podcast and YouTube series Inside the FBI devoted to Ignatova and the OneCoin case. Jen McAdam on the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme, The video of Dr Ruja at the Economist conference was what clinched it for Jen McAdam, Igor Alberts and Andreea Cimbala outside their house, Daniel, Prudence and Jamie with children in the poor area of Kampala where Prudence works as a nurse, Dr Ruja was renowned for expensive dresses and red lipstick, Dr Ruja posted a video of herself with her baby on social media, Dr Ruja comes on stage at Wembley to the song This Girl Is On Fire. The only way to exchange these OneCoins for any other currency was through an internal marketplaceOneCoin Exchange, known as xcoinx. For several months, a French journalist called Maxime Grimbert tried to unpick OneCoin's corporate workings, collecting as many company names and bank account details as he could. Ignatova was married to a German lawyer, with whom she had a daughter in 2016. She never appeared. They don't care! she replied, sharply. But when Daniel found out about OneCoin, it suddenly seemed like a much better alternative. Any criticism or awkward questions were actively discouraged. [14][15], In 2013, she was involved with a multi-level marketing scam called BigCoin. Dr Ruja's genius was to recognise that established MLM sellers with huge downlines were the perfect vehicle to market her fake coin - a plan the FBI says she privately referred to as "the bitch of Wall Street, meets MLM". We will be there for a week and wanted to take various day trips as well as tour the actual city. That I don't know what they're thinking. But when the day came, Dr Ruja - who was famously punctual - didn't show up. "You can never be blamed for believing in something. Video, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story, Listen to The Missing Cryptoqueen podcast on BBC Sounds, Harry and Meghan told to 'vacate' Frogmore Cottage, Rare Jurassic-era bug found at Arkansas Walmart, Dozens of girls treated after new Iran poisonings, Prince Andrew offered Frogmore Cottage - reports, Havana Syndrome unlikely to have hostile cause - US, China and Belarus call for peace in Ukraine, Beer and wine sales in Canada fall to all-time low, Man survives 31 days in jungle by eating worms. "I did the calculation how many coins we needed to become the richest person on the planet," Igor says. Ignatova was a convincing speaker. "You will find her," he said. OneCoins other co-founder, Sebastian Greenwood, also fled. It's also notorious for exaggerated promises of high earnings and tough sales targets. After Dr Ruja's non-appearance in Lisbon, a point came when Igor Alberts, like Jen McAdam, asked to see evidence of the blockchain. Armed with a microphone and several photographs of Dr Ruja, we headed off to Frankfurt and searched old addresses and gated neighbourhoods said to be the most expensive in Germany. Daniel is one of thousands of Ugandans who've bought into Dr Ruja's fake cryptocurrency - and the OneCoin financial documents leaked to the BBC reveal that as time went on, investors like him became increasingly important to OneCoin. It told the BBC: "OneCoin verifiably fulfils all criteria of the definition of a crypto-currency." "British companies are the companies of choice," he comments. He is now facing extradition to the US for his alleged role in the OneCoin fraud. But the motive of other people was simply being able to acquire a better life; people who worked long hours, people who did difficult physical labor, old people. It seemed like easy money. "They still exist", he says, in his garden near the village of Hay-on-Wye. The narco-boss is said currently to reside in Dubai, having evaded Bulgarian authorities. I ask if he felt guilty, for having sold so many people a coin that didn't exist, and for having made so much money in the process. But then I recruit Georgia and Phil to start selling too, and I make a cut on their sales as well. They are now in what's called my downline. Twitter Ruja Ignatova was added to the FBI's Ten Most. "Maybe you can tell her Maybe" he says. She spotted that society's defence against OneCoin - the law-makers, the police, and also us in the media would struggle to understand what was happening. As a result, lawyers representing Ignatova made a formal claim on the property, listing her as the apartments beneficial owner in a filing with the UKs financial regulator. What's he waiting for? In court it was revealed that Ignatov signed a plea deal on 4 October, in which he pleaded guilty to several fraud charges. Black-and-gold shoes, black-and-gold pleated suit, black-and-gold shirt, black-and-gold sunglasses, and he has a thick black-and-gold ring on. Both companies were founded by Ignatova and Greenwood. "Some of their kids are at home sitting without going to school - some don't have anywhere to sleep. Up to 90 years for the Ponzi scheme. So don't worry too much if you don't follow it either.) OneCoin is no longer operational, with the token unusable and the website inactive. Listen to The Missing Cryptoqueen podcast, with Jamie Bartlett and producer Georgia Catt, on BBC Sounds. Author's note: I am not an expert in cryptocurrencies. It suggests she is still alive, and there are documents out there somewhere which contain vital clues as to her recent whereabouts. She was dressed, as usual, in an expensive. In June 2022, she was added to the FBI's 10 most wanted list. The worlds most wanted woman is now officially listed as the ultimate beneficial owner of a London penthouse,he told iNews. At first she was told it was something she didn't need to know, but when she persisted she finally got the truth in a voicemail in April 2017. He has denied obtaining the documents and said: "When the Bulgarians participated at certain Europol meetings, it only took hours for her to get a complete rundown and get the minutes of what was said in those meetings. OneCoin was still growing fast, and Dr Ruja was starting to spend her new fortune: buying multi-million-dollar properties in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, and the Black Sea resort of Sozopol. Ignatova started to refer to herself as the Cryptoqueen. Some feared she'd been killed or kidnapped by the banks, who - they'd been told - had most to fear from the cryptocurrency revolution. Ruja Ignatova, also known as the "missing Cryptoqueen", received police information about investigations into her $4bn (3.5bn) cryptocurrency fraud before she disappeared, it is claimed. The now 42-year-old is thought to hold both Russian and Ukrainian passports and use a fake ID. She would have known that we were looking for her, he added, and she would have laughed at us. She told the cheering crowd that OneCoin was on course to become the world's biggest cryptocurrency "for everyone to make payments everywhere". DeSantis won't say he's running. In March 2016 it was announced that the exchange would be closing down for two weeks for maintenance. London, June 11, 2016. Just as he was boarding his flight home, he was pounced on by FBI agents, arrested, and charged with fraud in connection with OneCoin. She was dressed, as usual, in an expensive ballgown, wearing long diamond earrings and bright red lipstick. We don't know. [9] Ignatova emigrated to Germany with her family when she was ten years old, and spent part of her childhood in Schramberg in the state of Baden-Wrttemberg. Onecoin's Ruja Ignatova is a mysterious woman who has been on the run for over three years now. Facebook Previously, the property belonged to a company called Abbots House Penthouse Limited,. Investors who have worked hard their whole life and saved some money risked these savings, believing that by investing in OneCoin they could have a better future. Investors often told us that what drew them in initially was the fear that they would miss out on the next big thing. She asks what news we have about OneCoin. All over the world, people were already investing their savings into OneCoin, hoping to be part of this new revolution. "In two years, nobody will speak about Bitcoin any more!" Thousands of people were gathering in venues, all over the world, to see and hear her presentations. Since then, he has pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering and fraud charges, and is due to be sentenced next month. There is a BBC Sounds podcast called "The Missing Cryptoqueen." And McAdam's leader prepared her carefully for conversations with OneCoin sceptics. Ruja Ignatova, also known as the "missing Cryptoqueen", received police information about investigations into her $4bn (3.5bn) cryptocurrency fraud before she disappeared, it is claimed. Jen McAdam has a fiery Skype call with cryptocurrency enthusiast Tim Curry. A couple of people looked at the photographs and paused for a long time, raising our hopes - but then said they didn't recognise her. A reward is offered for information leading to the arrest of the co-founder of the alleged cryptocurrency 'OneCoin' in hiding since 2017. bka.de/oeffentlichkeitsfahndung14", "Ruja Ignatova: What we know about the OneCoin affair DW 07/05/2022", "OneCoin's Missing 'Crypto Queen' Is Now One of Europe's Most-Wanted Fugitives", https://twitter.com/VessOnSecurity/status/1627201381873352704/, "The life and crimes of Ruja Ignatova, new to FBI's 10 Most Wanted Ruja Ignatova", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ruja_Ignatova&oldid=1141594616, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing Bulgarian-language text, Articles with failed verification from February 2023, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. asked Bjercke. Did we get close to her? Ruja Ignatova celebrating her birthday with her husband and OneCoin members. List of fugitives from justice who disappeared, " 41- , ", "Cryptoqueen: How this woman scammed the world, then ran", "The mystery of the disappearing 'Cryptoqueen', "The 4bn OneCoin scam: how crypto-queen Dr Ruja Ignatova duped ordinary people out of billions then went missing", "Is OneCoin The Biggest Financial Fraud in History? The self-styled cryptoqueen even posted a video one week after the birth of her daughter, thanking people for their support and gifts. ", The webinar hosts talked about Dr Ruja's glittering background: Oxford University, a PhD from Konstanz, a stint with the respected management consultancy, McKinsey and Company A speech Dr Ruja had given at a conference hosted by The Economist magazine was shown - and that's what clinched it for McAdam. Dr Ruja Ignatova has been charged with wire fraud, security fraud and money laundering, by the US authorities By Jamie Bartlett Presenter, The Missing Cryptoqueen In June 2016, Dr Ruja. The FBI added Dr. Ruja Ignatova, the so-called 'Cryptoqueen,' to its list of Ten Most Wanted fugitives. A court reporter was there to hear his testimony, and according to his account of the proceedings Ignatov appears to have implied that his sister had duped him with the same line the organisation put out to its investors - that OneCoin critics were "haters" who could not be believed. Igor Alberts is wearing black-and-gold everything. There's a famous saying in journalism, "Follow the money." According to OneCoin, its main business was selling educational material for cryptocurrency trading. It's mathematic. Then he says I should check what yachts were bought in Athens around the time she arrived there from Sofia. "I felt responsibility. One week later McAdam bought a "tycoon" package, for 5,000. It's hard to know how much money has been put into OneCoin. The 16th century English buccaneer Sir Francis Drake died without heirs and this has inspired many to search for his supposed fortune, and others to swindle fortune hunters. "I'm somehow hiding myself. He told us we were right - Frankfurt is indeed where she spends much of her time. Thanks for contacting us. Bulgarian-born German citizen Ruja Ignatova, FBIs list of the 10 most-wanted fugitives. At one, in July 2017, the American pop star Bebe Rexha performed a private set. Video, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. Aliases: Dr. Ruja Ignatova, Ruja Plamenova Ignatova, Ruja P. Ignatova, "CryptoQueen" Date(s) . [10][2] Claims that she may have studied at University of Oxford in England give no details of college, course, or date of matriculation. "We are concerned about the potential risk this poses to UK consumers.". In her downtime she would throw parties on her luxurious yacht The Davina. Everything is meant to be transparent - the website contains the details of every company in the UK. A senior promoter gave her a nice car to impress customers, and instructed her to visit farmers when their crops were being harvested and they had money in their pocket. In November 2021, her stake would have peaked at nearly $15 billion, but it has now dropped, still more than enough to help her stay hidden.". Dr Ruja was still travelling the world to sell her vision - hopping from Macau to Dubai to Singapore, filling out arenas, pulling in new investors. Her biggest aspiration was just to be rich. "I was thinking: 'What is my job going to be? The opening of a long-promised exchange that would allow OneCoin to be turned into cash kept being delayed - and investors were growing more and more concerned. "I've been telling her it's changing. She can't bring herself to tell them the truth. She was entered into a Whatsapp group, with its own "leader" who disseminated information from the headquarters in Sofia. A cryptocurrency start-up from Bulgaria was looking for a chief technical officer. It's a green light for the OneCoin scammers to continue and extort more money from innocent people in the UK and nothing has been done about it. However, in October 2017, the scammer completely vanished as authorities circled and she hasnt been seen since. The smallest package cost 140, but they went all the way up to 118,000. Igor returned with a new mission - and gave new instructions to all the salespeople in his downline: stop whatever you're doing, and start selling OneCoin. "I think she was so scared in the fall of 2017 that she decided to skip.". There, she recruited members to promote OneCoin and sell to their friends and relatives. "I'm devastated for all the UK victims," Jen McAdam told me, when she heard the news. Founded and led by Dr Ruja Ignatova, a Bulgarian law PHD graduate and businesswoman, it grew quickly, often driven by hyperbolic public events. I felt proud of her.". One of the main OneCoin offices in Kampala is attached to a church. They started pitching it to potential investors in 2014, promising between a fivefold and tenfold return, and referred to their investors as idiots and crazy. Prestige property seller Knight Frank advertised the property but swiftly took the listing down after it emerged that Ignatova had links to it. According to the documents, the meeting was attended by the FBI, the US Department of Justice and the New York District Attorney. She studied at Oxford University and received a PhD in International Law from the University of Constance. We already knew that Dr Ruja spent some of her childhood in Schramberg, southern Germany. To buy the packages some sold their cattle, their land and even their houses - with disastrous consequences. Former 'Cryptoqueen' is now one of 10 most-wanted fugitives Ruja Ignatova, a founder of OneCoin, is accused of running a $4 billion pyramid scheme By Mara Luisa Pal July 1, 2022 at 7:31 a.m.. She knew there would be enough people either desperate enough, or greedy enough, or confused enough to take a bet on OneCoin. From either Greece or Romania Dr Ruja could be extradited to the US. If you believe you have been a victim of fraud in relation to OneCoin or you suspect someone of actively marketing OneCoin, please come forward and report it to Action Fraud online.". VideoRecord numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. People involved at the early stages have told him it was never supposed to be a billion-dollar scam. You've heard of Google, but there are several other search engines that specialise in this. Backstage at London's Wembley Arena, Dr. Ruja Ignatova was nervously pacing up and down, dressed, as usual, in a full-length ball gown. Officers from the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Dubai and Bulgaria were also present. The company went bankrupt shortly after acquisition under dubious circumstances. But it seems it's not just the promise of riches that keeps people believing. Looking to get ideas for places to take our 3 year old while in Frankfurt. I explain that this is probably beyond my abilities (apart from being illegal). Frantic calls and messages went unanswered. That was her last known location. What are the things that I'm going to have to do for this company?'" Bang!". Charles Ponzi is remembered for creating the Ponzi scheme. "You're told not to believe anything from the 'outside world'," she recalls. The reason so many people are excited by Bitcoin is that it solves that problem. Video, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story, Harry and Meghan told to 'vacate' Frogmore Cottage, Dozens of girls treated after new Iran poisonings, Rare Jurassic-era bug found at Arkansas Walmart, Ed Sheeran says wife developed tumour in pregnancy, China and Belarus call for peace in Ukraine, Covid origin likely China lab incident - FBI chief, Man survives 31 days in jungle by eating worms, Havana Syndrome unlikely to have hostile cause - US. In early October 2016 - four months after Dr Ruja's London appearance - a blockchain expert called Bjorn Bjercke was called by a recruitment agent, with a curious job offer. One day soon, she was told, she would be able to turn these coins back into euros or pounds. And every item of clothing is Dolce and Gabbana. They have filed no financial information at all." Do you know who to complain to when you are a victim of a Ponzi scheme or pyramid scheme? She is best known as the founder of a fraudulent cryptocurrency scheme known as OneCoin, which The Times has described as "one of the biggest scams in history". I sell a box to my friends, Georgia and Phil, and make a small cut. While in Waltenhofen, we learned that she had a German husband, a lawyer for the well-known firm, Linklaters. It's also been suggested that there are powerful people who might protect her in her native Bulgaria - and that she could hide in plain sight because of plastic surgery that makes her unrecognisable. Find out who her friends were, what her lifestyle was like, her family.". she shouted. Do you know what agencies go after them? Today doors are locked. As in other countries, OneCoin has spread here through networks of friends and families. Others told us she was dead - which does remain a possibility. Between August 2014 and March 2017 more than 4bn was invested in dozens of countries. This was the secret of OneCoin's success. But we need to keep going, we needed to find the house. In 2012, she was convicted of fraud in Germany in connection to the acquisition of a steel company that she and her father acquired. Unlike Ignatova, however, he didnt stay free for very long. Frankfurt probably isn't the only place she goes - it might be one of several places, including perhaps Dubai and Russia. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. But it is controversial, because usually only a small number of people make all the money. When I ask for more details, he replies: "No, I cannot tell that because I don't want to take that risk with our lives.". He claims metadata on the files suggests she obtained the information via her own contacts in Bulgaria. Realizing that an arrest warrant was imminent and fearing that she could spend the rest of her life behind bars, Ruja decided to flee. Jennifer McAdam, a 52-year-old Scottish single parent and businesswoman who fell victim to OneCoin fraud commented that she was pleased the FBI had added Ignatova to its Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. 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Strehl, husband of one the biggest scammers Ruja, was invisible during the whole OneCoin saga. 2023 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. At the age of 10, her family moved to Germany. Members could later exchange these educational packages, ranging from 100 euros to 118,000 euros, for OneCoins. The UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which is responsible for regulating financial markets in the UK, issued a warning on its website only in September 2016. ", The City of London Police told the BBC: "There was insufficient evidence to support criminal proceedings against individuals based in the UK, though the force has never specified that there had been no concerns surrounding OneCoin. Now a hit podcast is stepping up the search for the international scam artist, writes Tanya Sweeney Cryptocurrency as an idea was just entering the mainstream. [12] She reportedly has also worked for McKinsey & Company. The fact that OneCoin was operating internationally also created difficulties for the authorities. You can also see more on the next episode of BBC Click. So much for following the money. The promoters said it was the larger packages that were really life-changing. The documents include details of US authorities having a "high-placed confidential informant", OneCoin bank accounts receiving investor funds, and unsuccessful efforts by the UK's City of London Police to interview Ms Ignatova. Could she really be hiding out in the heart of the EU? And that friend was visiting the richest neighbourhood in Frankfurt in summer this year. They didn't feel they were taking a risk, because they trusted Ruja and her education and work experience. Born on May 30, 1980, in Bulgaria, Ignatova moved to Germany with her family when she was 10 years old. Even Google - 'Don't listen to Google!'" The force has provided assistance to foreign law enforcement partners in respect of their investigations concerning OneCoin personnel and will continue to do this. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Its understood Ignatova purchased the property under a company name, but a new rule means that the beneficiary of said company must also be named in full. A Maserati and Aston Martin are parked outside. When Georgia and I called them ourselves to check, they confirmed it. "I said to Andreea, 'We need to build it up to 100 million coins, because when this coin goes to 100 and we have 100 million, we are richer than Bill Gates.' Bitcoin was the first cryptocurrency and is still the biggest and best-known - its rise in value from a few cents to hundreds of dollars per coin by mid-2016 had given rise to a frenzy of excitement among investors. Why have so many people continued to believe in OneCoin, despite all the evidence? Dr. Ruja Ignatova, 41, pictured here in 2015, is wanted by Interpol because they say she cheated people who wanted to invest their money in cryptocurrency. You can listen to episodes here. [17], On 25 October 2017 Ignatova disappeared after being tipped off about increasing police investigations about OneCoin. Her collaborators started getting arrested on securities and fraud charges and money laundering. [26], According to a report published by Bulgarian investigative reporting site Bird, Ignatova was murdered in November 2018 on the orders of a Bulgarian drug lord, Hristoforos Amanatidis, also known as "Taki". It was a cryptocurrency company, and it had been running for a while - but it didn't have a blockchain. "It's hard. According to the BBC, farmers in Uganda sold their livestock and invested their money in OneCoin, hoping for a better life for their families and themselves. In an interconnected global economy, assets can simply vanish, and you end up chasing shadows. Barely a year later, she bamboozled billions and left it behind (not the money) - family included. This platform was launched after many delays. When we started planning the Missing Cryptoqueen podcast in late 2018, no-one really had a clue what happened to Dr Ruja after her disappearance. Except now with plastic surgery, and so harder to spot. In 2012, she was convicted of fraud in Germany in connection with the acquisition of a steel company obtained by Ruja and her father. Although Jen McAdam had now seen the light, few other OneCoin investors had. the FBI added Ruja Ignatova to its Ten Most Wanted Fugitives, The Missing Cryptoqueen: The Billion Dollar Cryptocurrency Con and the Woman Who Got Away With It, Cryptoqueen: How this woman scammed the world, then vanished, The life and crimes of Ruja Ignatova, new to FBI's 10 Most Wanted Ruja Ignatova, https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/30/fbi-adds-cryptoqueen-to-ten-most-wanted-fugitives-list-for-fraud.htm, 'Cryptoqueen' Ruja Ignatova added to FBI's top ten most wanted list. Dr Ruja's genius was to take all of this and sell the idea to the masses. ), 'Hun, this could be your opportunity to get rich'. Previously, the property belonged to a company called Abbots House Penthouse Limited, based in Guernsey, a well-known tax haven with very little government oversight. It's thought to be a key anti-corruption tool. It is a tale of 'greed and folly' perhaps even more scandalous than Holmes' billion-dollar Theranos bust-up. He takes the first one on the list and looks it up on the Companies House website. She would urge and convince simple people to invest in OneCoin and not be left out of the huge potential profits. OneCoin,. Sixty per cent of the income Igor Alberts and Andreea Cimbala made from OneCoin (in the end, more than 2m per month) was paid in cash, the rest in OneCoin. You told me it was a cryptocurrency company.'". "They're very easy to set up and they look legitimate.". In November of the same year, he pleaded guilty to charges of money laundering and fraud. This is clearly a question for a professional, which is why Georgia and I went to see private investigator Alan McLean. The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers to this website may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. This proved to be fraudulent and she was sentenced to 14 months suspended jail sentence. His colleagues - also private investigators - visited top-end restaurants in Athens armed with photos of Ruja, and in one of them several waiters claimed to clearly remember her dining there earlier this year. I would have just turned my back and walked away," he says. Sitting at her computer, the Glaswegian clicked on a link and joined a OneCoin webinar. The UK began to insist recently that companies must enter the name of the person with "significant control" - the real owner. (She received a fine and a suspended sentence in October 2016.) [20], Afterward, the North Rhine-Westphalia Police and German Federal Criminal Police Office announced that Ignatova is sought for fraud charges. In early 2019, she was charged in absentia by U.S. authorities for wire fraud, securities fraud and money laundering. But the authorities all over the world have been slow to react, partly because the whole area of cryptocurrencies is relatively new. Greenwood was arrested in 2018. Its working title is Fake! Cryptoqueen: How this woman scammed the world, then vanished, BBC News, November 24, 2019, https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-61966824, https://www.banklesstimes.com/news/2021/11/17/onecoin-alive-and-kicking-in-bulgaria-govt-assisted-crypto-pyramid-scheme/. Perhaps it would put him in an uncomfortable position. A book about this case was written by British investigative reporter Jamie Bartlett and published in June 2022. [16] In 2014, she founded a pyramid scheme called OneCoin. Daniel took me and Georgia to meet Prudence, who first introduced him to OneCoin. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved. They'd read, with envy, the stories of people striking gold with Bitcoin and thought OneCoin was a second chance. By the time the webinar had finished she had decided to invest 1,000. On the run since 2017, Dr Ruja Ignat But we were still surprised when, during our internet searches, Frankfurt started appearing over and over again. But when it comes to someone trying to find them - whether that's a journalist or a police officer - they are invisible.". According to the Irish Daily Mail, filmmaker Scott Z. Burns, who is behind the production, described McAdam as the new Erin Brockovich. On 6 March 2019 Konstantin Ignatov was at Los Angeles International airport, waiting to fly back to Bulgaria after some OneCoin meetings in the US. , OneCoin has spread here through networks of friends and relatives interconnected global economy, assets can vanish! July 2017, the Netherlands, Dubai and Bulgaria were also present criteria of the across. Could later exchange these OneCoins for any other currency was through an internal marketplaceOneCoin exchange known. They were taking a risk, because usually only a small cut OneCoin verifiably fulfils all criteria of the?! 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