November 23rd 2024.
The mysterious case of Ruja Ignatova continues to baffle authorities and investors alike. Since her sudden disappearance in October 2017, there have been numerous speculations about her whereabouts. But the latest development in the investigation has led the hunt for the 'Cryptoqueen' to South Africa.
Ignatova, who has been on the FBI's top 10 most wanted list since 2022, is wanted for her involvement in one of the largest global fraud schemes in history. She founded a cryptocurrency company called OneCoin in 2014 and lured people into investing in it. Little did they know, it was all a scam. The Ponzi scheme resulted in over three million victims being swindled out of a staggering £3.6 billion.
Last September, one of her co-founders, Karl Sebastian Greenwood, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in the fraudulent scheme. But Ignatova's whereabouts have remained a mystery. She was last seen in October 2017, when she traveled from Sofia to Athens after being charged and having a federal warrant issued for her arrest. The FBI has recently increased the bounty for her arrest to a whopping £4 million, suspecting that she may have undergone plastic surgery to alter her appearance.
The mastermind behind OneCoin's scam, Ignatova, has now become one of the world's most wanted fugitives. Many believed she had met a gruesome end, with rumors swirling that she was killed by her former accomplices in the Bulgarian underworld. However, investigators in Germany have a different theory. They now believe she is hiding in one of South Africa's most exclusive neighborhoods.
Sabine Dässel, from the North Rhine-Westphalia state office of criminal investigation, shared their working hypothesis in a new documentary about the OneCoin scam. "We believe that Ruja Ignatova is still alive," she said. Although her exact whereabouts are still unknown, there are strong indications that she may be in Cape Town.
Ignatova's brother, Konstantin, took over her business after her disappearance and was spotted in Cape Town shortly after. He has since been cooperating with the FBI, revealing that his sister may have used stolen investor funds, amounting to £500,000,000, to finance her escape. With this enormous sum of money at her disposal, she could have easily paid for plastic surgery, bribed officials, and created a new identity.
The hunt for the 'Cryptoqueen' continues, and investigators remain determined to bring her to justice. The world watches with bated breath as the mystery surrounding Ruja Ignatova's whereabouts unfolds. Will she ever be caught, or will she continue to evade the authorities? Only time will tell.
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