You know, I’ve been following the story of this scammer from Bulgaria for a long time. Ruja Ignatova — a name that has become synonymous with one of the biggest cryptocurrency scams in history. Her story is more like a thriller script than reality.

It all started in 2014 when this woman launched OneCoin, positioning it as the Bitcoin killer. It seemed like just another alternative project, but no — it was a well-planned Ponzi scheme. Ignatova promised investors from over a hundred countries incredible profits, assuring them that the currency was supported by real blockchain technology. In reality, it was all a complete fabrication.

The numbers are impressive and terrifying at the same time. The scheme collected $4 billion, although some experts estimate victims’ losses at up to £12.9 billion. Can you imagine the scale? People from different countries were losing their life savings. In 2016, Ruja Ignatova even claimed that in two years, no one would remember Bitcoin. The audacity, of course, is impressive.

But here’s what’s interesting — in October 2017, she simply disappeared. She flew from Sofia to Athens and was never seen again. She left behind shattered lives and a brother who later confessed to crimes. Since then, the FBI has listed Ignatova among the ten most wanted criminals, offering $5 million for information about her whereabouts.

What’s striking is that she has not been caught yet. It’s believed she uses fake passports, possibly even underwent plastic surgery. Some think Ruja Ignatova is hiding in Russia or Greece, guarded by armed security. Europol is also searching for her, but their reward of £4,100 seems downright laughable compared to the sums she stole.

The most alarming thing is that OneCoin continues to operate in some African and Latin American countries, adding new victims. The scheme did not die with her disappearance. Ignatova’s story even inspired documentaries and podcasts like BBC’s "The Missing Crypto Queen."

All this is a powerful lesson about how important it is to verify investment information. Ruja Ignatova showed that even with a PhD in international law and supposedly experience working at McKinsey, you can create one of the most successful scam projects. When you see promises of astronomical profits and unbelievable claims about cryptocurrency — that’s always a red flag. Beware.