Where is the "Crypto Queen"? New clues lead to South Africa.

Ruja Ignatova, the mastermind behind the OneCoin Ponzi scheme, may be hiding in Cape Town, according to German investigators. The woman disappeared in October 2017 after defrauding millions with a fake cryptocurrency, but there are now indications that she is still alive.

The latest research

The German police (LKA of North Rhine-Westphalia) confirmed that all evidence points to a luxury neighborhood near Cape Town. Sabine Dässel, a representative of the agency, stated in a WDR documentary that investigators assume Ignatova is still alive.

The interesting thing: her brother Konstantin visited Cape Town multiple times after her disappearance. The detectives suspect that he was receiving instructions from her.

The figure that keeps her a fugitive

Konstantin confessed that his sister escaped with £500 million (approximately $625 million USD). With that money, she financed her escape, obtained false identities and, according to the FBI, possibly underwent plastic surgery.

The scope of fraud

Between 2014 and 2017, Ignatova and her network defrauded investors of $4.3 billion by promising impossible returns through OneCoin, a “coin” that never actually existed (ni blockchain, nor anything ).

Current status

• The FBI keeps her on its list of 10 most wanted fugitives
• The reward for information about your location increased from $100,000 to $5 million
• Facing fraud charges in the U.S., Germany, Bulgaria, and India
• His accomplices are already in prison: his co-founder Karl Greenwood is serving 20 years; others received sentences of 4 to 10 years.

Meanwhile, the investigation continues. One thing is clear: if they catch her, it won't be for lack of money.