- The notorious founder behind the $4 billion OneCoin fraud allegedly colluded with a high-profile drug trafficker, a recent report reveals.
- Ruja Ignatova, known globally as the “Cryptoqueen,” initiated OneCoin in 2014 and ran it as a multi-level marketing scheme.
- Ignatova deceitfully asserted that OneCoin had its own blockchain, ultimately defrauding over 3.5 million people.
Discover the latest updates on the OneCoin saga and its complex ties to organized crime in our detailed report.
OneCoin’s Fraudulent Foundation and Massive Victim Count
OneCoin posed as a revolutionary cryptocurrency project while operating under a façade orchestrated by Ruja Ignatova. Ignatova presented the illusion of a pioneering private blockchain but ensnared more than 3.5 million unsuspecting investors worldwide, leveraging a multi-level marketing framework to amplify the reach of her deceit.
Ignatova’s Disappearance and Links to Organized Crime
Ignatova vanished in 2017, and in 2022, she was added to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list. New revelations from BIRD, a Bulgarian investigative journalism group, suggest she might have been assassinated on the orders of Hristoforos ‘Taki’ Amanatidis, a notorious narcotics kingpin. Key documents, unearthed at the residence of a slain Bulgarian police officer, Lyubomir Ivanov, insinuate deeper criminal collaborations and potential motives for her disappearance.
Insights from Law Enforcement and Leaked Documents
A fresh investigation by the BBC exposes that U.S. government attorneys intimated Ignatova employed Amanatidis as her chief security officer. Additionally, during a court proceeding, it was hinted that her head of security had a role in her eventual disappearance. Supplementary Europol leaks imply that Taki may have exploited OneCoin’s monetary channels to launder proceeds from drug operations, suggesting a sophisticated intertwining of tech-savvy scams and traditional organized crime.
Conclusion
The OneCoin scandal highlights the intersection of modern technological fraud and entrenched organized crime dynamics. As international agencies continue to unravel the complex web surrounding Ignatova and OneCoin, the story serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities within the burgeoning cryptocurrency space. With a $250,000 bounty on Ignatova, efforts to bring her to justice persist, offering a glimmer of hope to millions affected by this monumental fraud.
