German lawyer Ruza Ignatova defrauded billions of dollars with the fake cryptocurrency “OneCoin”, went into hiding and was declared dead – but German investigators believe she is alive, as they reveal in the WDR documentary series Says in the newly released part.
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It was a criminal case that made headlines: since 2015, Ignatova promised good prospects for her Bitcoin competitor product “OneCoin” and, according to US investigators, a lot of money totaling US$4 billion (3.35 billion euros). Collected. , When she performed in front of a large crowd, she was dubbed the new “Crypto Queen”. But the currency proved to be a scam and investors never got anything in return for their money. Ignatova went into hiding in 2017 and is one of the FBI’s ten most wanted people. The distribution and sale of OneCoin was banned in Germany this year.
FBI Wanted Poster: The Crypto Queen is one of the agency’s most wanted people.
(Image: FBI New York)
Documents said to prove Ignatova’s death
In Bulgaria, where Ignatova was born, police documents reportedly prove her death. Investigative journalists published documents last year showing that the internationally wanted fraudster was executed on a yacht in Greece on behalf of the Bulgarian drug mafia. However, doubts immediately arose about this. which has now been published New part of the WDR documentary series “The Crypto Queen” also addresses Ignatova’s alleged murder. Accordingly, the “Crypto Queen” may be among those still alive.
Daniela Dessel of the State Criminal Police Office in Düsseldorf explains in the series: “We are assuming or working with the hypothesis that Ruza Ignatova is still alive.” Accordingly, the LKA had received information from “authorities from abroad” that the alleged murderer was already in custody at the time of the crime.
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Bulgarian journalists report that “crypto queen” Ruza Ignatova may have been killed on behalf of a drug mafia in Greece in early 2018.
The reference to this comes from a police document which reproduces an overheard conversation: https://t.co/yiSw9ItMkN pic.twitter.com/RTcvCH9Q9T
– Daniel Laufer (@DanielLaufer) 19 February 2023
Luxury real estate data emerges
And German investigators got another tip: an informant provided them with data that shows the buying and selling of various luxury properties in Dubai by members of the OneCoin management team. In total, he acquired half a billion euros worth of real estate there. For example, Ignatova had a penthouse in a luxury metropolis. Interestingly, according to statistics, it was sold again in 2019, when it had long since gone into hiding. However, authorities in Dubai have closed the investigation against Ignatova.
According to their own statements, German authorities are not aware of Ignatova’s current whereabouts. But there are some indications that Ignatova is currently in South Africa, Dassler says in the documentary. Meanwhile, OneCoin is continuing its activities, for example luring investors in China, Romania and Southeast Asia. There have also been successes in the investigation, such as in June, when investigators secured ten million euros in the assets of a “crypto queen” that apparently came from German investors. Will Ignatova still be held accountable? One investigator in the documentary is in a good mood: “I don’t think it’s going to take that long.”
(No)
