Founder of OneCoin cryptocurrency scam disappeared in 2017 after defrauding millions worldwide
Report: Shah J. Choudhury
In 2017, Ruja Ignatova, a multilingual Oxford graduate, allegedly stole approximately $15 billion through her cryptocurrency project OneCoin and boarded a commercial flight to Athens. Since then, she has vanished without a trace, and the FBI has yet to locate her.
Known for her charisma and revolutionary rhetoric on stage, Ignatova did not present herself as a typical criminal. OneCoin was marketed not merely as a cryptocurrency, but as a revolutionary system that could change the global financial landscape.
Between 2014 and 2017, millions of investors trusted her promises and invested in OneCoin, funneling billions into her control. In October 2017, she took a commercial flight and disappeared—leaving no ticket records, passport stamps, or digital footprints behind.
Today, Ruja Ignatova remains on the FBI’s “Ten Most Wanted” list, one of the very few women to hold that distinction. Her mysterious disappearance and the massive financial fraud continue to intrigue law enforcement and the global investment community.
