Finanzbetrug: Fahndung nach Onecoin-Betrügerin – Teilvermögen eingezogen

One year after a Bielefeld prosecutor's office charged Onecoin creator Ruja Ignatova with fraud, the investigation into the self-proclaimed "Cryptoqueen" remains ongoing. Her whereabouts are still unknown, but authorities have successfully recovered around 10.1 million euros from her personal assets to compensate victims, reported the prosecutor's office.

In September 2025, the Bielefeld court had brought charges against the lawyer to prevent the statute of limitations from expiring on her alleged fraudulent activities. The indictment names nearly 17,500 victims and claims a total damage of 57 million euros for a limited time frame between 2015 and 2016. Globally, millions of investors are believed to be affected, with a billion-dollar damage resulting from the scheme.

Ignatova allegedly built a fraudulent pyramid scheme selling her invented cryptocurrency. The company's headquarters were in Greven, Münsterland. Deputy State Attorney Carsten Nowak explained that international legal assistance helped seize nearly 10.1 million euros from the defendant's personal assets, which came from the sale of two London properties and will be used for victim compensation.

Victims from Germany and several other European countries who deposited funds between December 9, 2015, and August 15, 2016, into IMS GmbH accounts in Greven can contact the prosecutor's office with proof of payments to check for potential restitution claims. Ignatova traveled from Sofia to Athens on October 25, 2017, and has not been seen since.

Authorities continue to seek her worldwide through photos of the woman who grew up in Southern Germany. Those with information about her whereabouts are urged to contact the Düsseldorf Landeskriminalamt. The statute of limitations for the charges she faces expires in summer 2031.