Ruja
Ignatova, the founder and mastermind behind the OneCoin crypto fraud, allegedly
resurfaced after vanishing more than five years ago. Last week’s property
listing in central London exposed a 42-year-old German citizen of Bulgarian
origin.
Ruja Ignatova, the
OneCoine Founder, Leaves a Trace
According
to information first reported by iNews, the name and surname of the
‘cryptoqueen’ appeared in real estate documents regarding a property in the
London suburb of Kensington, England.
Ignatova
purchased the penthouse for her company, but new regulations in the UK require to
list the name of the ‘beneficial owner’. It forced the criminal to come out of
hiding as she had to be officially named on the document alongside her shell firm.
Prestigious property retailer Knight Frank advertised the £11 million property.
However, the listing was removed after media reports showed the connection between
the penthouse and the wanted criminal.
Why is this
information so important? It suggests that Ignatova is still alive and that real
estate documents might contain clues about her last whereabouts. Even if she
cannot be captured, the property could be used to repay some of her victims.
Watch the recent FMLS22 panel on reimagining the crypto market structure.
The History of OneCoin
Ruja
Ignatova has become extremely popular with international investigative bodies
in recent years. She has made it onto the FBI’s list of the ten most wanted
criminals and has been named by Europol as one of the most wanted fugitives.
Ignatova
and her business partner Sebastian Greenwood launched the OneCoin
cryptocurrency in 2014, advertising it as the future ‘bitcoin
