Influencer Editorial Team
In a startling development, it has been revealed that Ruja Ignatova, one of the FBI’s most wanted scammers who vanished with $4 billion, may have been killed by elements within the Bulgarian underworld. A 2022 report by Bulgarian investigative journalist Dimitar Stoyanov, cited by the BBC, claims that Ignatova was murdered a year after her disappearance.
Back in 2014, Dr. Ruja Ignatova was rapidly becoming a well-known figure. Millions of people worldwide entrusted her with their savings, convinced by her vision of a revolutionary online currency. But in 2017, Ignatova mysteriously disappeared.
A decade later, details about Dr. Ruja’s fate remain elusive. U.S. authorities charged her with fraud in absentia, suspecting she absconded with £3.3 billion from supporters of her OneCoin cryptocurrency across 175 countries. Ignatova has become the most wanted woman globally.
A recent BBC investigation has shed new light on her disappearance, suggesting a possible link to her dubious connections in Bulgaria. The documentary “Panorama” explores whether she absconded with the money or was murdered by those meant to protect her.
Since her disappearance in October 2017, after failing to attend a meeting with promoters in Lisbon, critics had already begun to scrutinize the integrity of her elaborate scam. Investors initially bought into her image as a glamorous Oxford graduate who had worked at McKinsey before diving into the cryptocurrency world. Ignatova presented herself with confidence, often dressed elegantly with her signature red lipstick, and made grand appearances at rallies, including one at Wembley Stadium.
During these years, distrust in traditional banks and currencies had created a fertile ground for cryptocurrencies. Investors, eager not to miss out on another Bitcoin-like opportunity, poured their money into OneCoin, convinced it was the next big thing. However, red flags began to emerge as concerns grew that OneCoin lacked the necessary safeguards and was not backed by a blockchain, unlike Bitcoin.
In October 2017, when Ignatova missed her crucial meeting, questions about the ability to convert OneCoin into usable currency became more pressing. The inability to exchange OneCoin for euros and the absence of blockchain support were major concerns for investors.
Jamie Bartlett, a journalist who has been investigating Ignatova’s story since 2019 through his podcast “The Missing Cryptoqueen,” highlighted that the value of OneCoin was merely a number fabricated in an office in Bulgaria. This revelation, coupled with Ignatova’s sudden disappearance, suggested she had fled with the funds. She was last seen boarding a plane in Bulgaria to Athens, accompanied by a bodyguard who returned without her.
