British police seize $408 million and arrest woman aged 39

[arabspaceship123]

British police seize record $408 million haul of cryptocurrency

It's big news a 39 year old woman was arrested in connection with money laundering in excess of £114 million cryptocurrency. The same woman's being questioned by British police after more than £180 million of cryptocurrency was discovered later. They've linked over £294 million of cryptocurrency directly to her, that's $408 million. Maybe they'll find more.

The first name in my head was Ruja Ignatova she's a Bulgarian fraudster. She was a founder of the One Coin ponzi but wiki shows her age at 41 not 39. She's been sentenced by US authorities for wire fraud, securities fraud and money laundering.

British police didn't name the woman they'd arrested or name the cryptocurrencies they seized but if it's her it's certain she'll get extradited to the US where she'll face up to 90 years jail for the ponzi.

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[temple]

British police seize record $408 million haul of cryptocurrency

It's big news a 39 year old woman was arrested in connection with money laundering in excess of £114 million cryptocurrency. The same woman's being questioned by British police after more than £180 million of cryptocurrency was discovered later. They've linked over £294 million of cryptocurrency directly to her, that's $408 million. Maybe they'll find more.

The first name in my head was Ruscha Ignatowa she's a Bulgarian fraudster. She was a founder of the One Coin ponzi but wiki shows her age at 41 not 39. She's been sentenced by US authorities for wire fraud, securities fraud and money laundering.

British police didn't name the woman they'd arrested or name the cryptocurrencies they seized but if it's her it's certain she'll get extradited to the US where she'll face up to 90 years jail for the ponzi.

That's some good amount of money she laundered! I bet that there will also be a decent amount hidden somewhere that is not going to be found unless she was extremely stupid and now gets 100% busted. Actually, maybe it doesn't matter because she most likely going to be in jail for a very long time! Interesting story anyway! It is not always the evil men, hm?

[mckinleeanael07]

It sounds interesting that a woman the age of a mother with a macro mindset is a talented woman who uses her talents in the wrong place. I have heard a lot in the news about crimes like selling organs, selling drugs to launder money with cryptocurrency, and entrepreneurs calling people the heads of Ponzi schemes. I see a lot of people committing crimes and what they do is inevitable from the law.

[kaggie]

The article says 114 million pounds and doesn't mention a woman?

Do you have another reference?

edit: oh, you referenced that. You have a good memory..

[newwest]

Guilty will be punished and such acts are not at all accepted. Its sad to hear such things because as it is involving crypto the government and people has already created perception that crypto is bad and used for illegal or money laundering stuff only. Though it happen with cash as well but some government do not want to take such chances and put a stay or has banned in counties thus citizens could not make the best use of crypto due to it.
I just wish people do make the best use of crypto as it is meant to be rather than using it for all wrong reasons.

[agg2702]

this is what can actually harm traders and their depositors of assets in the form of crypto, especially bitcoin. because indirectly the negative stigma about crypto will get bigger because they think crypto is only for gambling and money laundering.
but on the other hand I really appreciate the police in revealing this because this is a fairly serious crime.
and I'm sure a well-deserved punishment awaits them

[DeathAngel]

Well if she got the bitcoin via fraud then she deserves to rot in jail. That’s a large bitcoin stash which clearly has been gotten via illegal means. I hope that somehow some of the victims can be reimbursed.

[blockman]

I hope that seized crypto will go back to its due owners that have been victimized by that person. And I think I understand why the authorities haven't named the con. I guess they'll track down the people that are involved with their operation so that they can also arrest them in a surprise.

It sounds interesting that a woman the age of a mother with a macro mindset is a talented woman who uses her talents in the wrong place. I have heard a lot in the news about crimes like selling organs, selling drugs to launder money with cryptocurrency, and entrepreneurs calling people the heads of Ponzi schemes. I see a lot of people committing crimes and what they do is inevitable from the law.

There are many of them, they want an easy life, easy money but the world that they're walking around isn't going to be wider anymore. They're going to hide like rats which looks like the rats are chasing them everywhere.

[Fortify]

British police seize record $408 million haul of cryptocurrency

It's big news a 39 year old woman was arrested in connection with money laundering in excess of £114 million cryptocurrency. The same woman's being questioned by British police after more than £180 million of cryptocurrency was discovered later. They've linked over £294 million of cryptocurrency directly to her, that's $408 million. Maybe they'll find more.

The first name in my head was Ruscha Ignatowa she's a Bulgarian fraudster. She was a founder of the One Coin ponzi but wiki shows her age at 41 not 39. She's been sentenced by US authorities for wire fraud, securities fraud and money laundering.

British police didn't name the woman they'd arrested or name the cryptocurrencies they seized but if it's her it's certain she'll get extradited to the US where she'll face up to 90 years jail for the ponzi.

If she was devious enough to accrue that much, I have a feeling she may be hiding a lot more cryptocurrency in other locations. For all the talk about people using Bitcoin to commit crimes, when you see cases like this you cannot help but wonder what sort of resources that government agencies are now working with in order to trace the money - after all it can get funneled very transparently into rather few wallets at the point of consolidation. I wonder if they hacked the wallets (or the devices they were on) first before arresting her, or she ended up giving away the wallet access in some other way. It would also be interesting to know at what point she bought into Bitcoin because the original owners could ironically be sitting on a huge windfall of cash if it was purchased before the most recent price hikes, even if they weren't cashing out at the all time high.

[arabspaceship123]

That's some good amount of money she laundered! I bet that there will also be a decent amount hidden somewhere that is not going to be found unless she was extremely stupid and now gets 100% busted. Actually, maybe it doesn't matter because she most likely going to be in jail for a very long time! Interesting story anyway! It is not always the evil men, hm?

She'll receive a big prison sentence even if it isn't Ruscha Ignatow because $408 million isn't small change. Yes it's possible she's hidden some away but by the time she's released from prison the best years of her life will be behind her.

It sounds interesting that a woman the age of a mother with a macro mindset is a talented woman who uses her talents in the wrong place. I have heard a lot in the news about crimes like selling organs, selling drugs to launder money with cryptocurrency, and entrepreneurs calling people the heads of Ponzi schemes. I see a lot of people committing crimes and what they do is inevitable from the law.

It doesn't look like she's involved with human trafficking or selling human organs other else the British police would've mentioned it. I'd like to know how she accumulated $408 million in cryptocurrency and which cryptocurrency was seized.

[dothebeats]

Perhaps there’s more accomplices in this fraud since that’s a lot of money and effort to be able to accrue such an enormous amount. It’s good that she was nabbed even before she’s able to do more damage in the ecosystem. Even if she was able to hide millions somewhere, if the prison sentence is extremely lengthy, it wouldn’t matter since she can never use it.

British police should search for her accomplices to stop this fraud and ponzi from expanding even further. It’s highly improbable that it’s just a one-man crew with that huge amount.

[sheenshane]

We had heard a lot of criminals getting caught upon using cryptocurrency and running Ponzi schemes, it might they think that using cryptocurrency is fully anonymous but in fact, you can't.  Probably this is also related to Bitcoin since she was running her own coin and investors night invest using their Bitcoin.

That's a huge amount that has been confiscated, I hope those who had been victims will return the money to them because that's their money.  For sure there are more unrevealed amounts because the investigation is ongoing.  But my question is why the British authorities didn't disclose what cryptocurrency it is.

[just_Alice]

Well if she got the bitcoin via fraud then she deserves to rot in jail. That’s a large bitcoin stash which clearly has been gotten via illegal means. I hope that somehow some of the victims can be reimbursed.

Sadly, that rarely happens when money is confiscated from criminal frauds. Most likely, the money will go to some kind of archives and be subject to further investigation, and later it will be used for law-enforcement needs.

Though it would be fair to give money back to victims as I said, this rarely happens, and in this particular case, it will be even more complicated due to the fact that cryptocurrencies are involved, the legal status of which is still questioned in a number of places. Plus tracking down the victims and confirming that the money actually belonged to them would be complex as well.

[bitterguy28]

British police seize record $408 million haul of cryptocurrency

It's big news a 39 year old woman was arrested in connection with money laundering in excess of £114 million cryptocurrency. The same woman's being questioned by British police after more than £180 million of cryptocurrency was discovered later. They've linked over £294 million of cryptocurrency directly to her, that's $408 million. Maybe they'll find more.

The first name in my head was Ruscha Ignatowa she's a Bulgarian fraudster. She was a founder of the One Coin ponzi but wiki shows her age at 41 not 39. She's been sentenced by US authorities for wire fraud, securities fraud and money laundering.

I also thought of the same person because it was mentioned in other thread early yesterday but since the government did not named Her then this might be an interesting story to follow.

British police didn't name the woman they'd arrested or name the cryptocurrencies they seized but if it's her it's certain she'll get extradited to the US where she'll face up to 90 years jail for the ponzi.

They will surely name this person once everything was already point out they don't wanna ruin the continues investigation for this.

[bbc.reporter]

The police claimed they seized cryptocurrency, however, the article does not say how and what they seized. I am skeptical. They might not have seized anything and if they seized something, what kind of cryptocoins? It might be a wallet full of Binance smartchain tokens hehehe.

[taufik123]

Ponzi-tipped investment crimes have been around for a long time. This practice even uses various platforms and various new methods that will ultimately deceive their investors. cryptocurreny is the platform they use because cryptocurrencies in some countries do not have strict legal protection, unclear regulations make Ponzi investment growing rapidly. money laundering often occurs, but transactions carried out in crypto that are recorded on the blockchain will still be detected and will lead to perpetrators. The harshest punishment is appropriate for ponzi perpetrators, because it is very detrimental to many people.

[Darker45]

Great news for cryptocurrency. As young as it is, cryptocurrency is already populated with all kinds of scammers and scam projects. It needs thorough cleansing. These scams are destroying the name of crypto and even of Bitcoin. A lot of people equate Bitcoin with crypto.

Anyway, I'm not sure if this One Coin ponzi which Ruscha Ignatowa is operating is the same One Coin which has become somehow popular in my country. If it is, I hope they will stumble upon this news and be enlightened that what they are getting into is false hope.

[electronicash]

We had heard a lot of criminals getting caught upon using cryptocurrency and running Ponzi schemes, it might they think that using cryptocurrency is fully anonymous but in fact, you can't.  Probably this is also related to Bitcoin since she was running her own coin and investors night invest using their Bitcoin.

That's a huge amount that has been confiscated, I hope those who had been victims will return the money to them because that's their money.  For sure there are more unrevealed amounts because the investigation is ongoing.  But my question is why the British authorities didn't disclose what cryptocurrency it is.

and it looks like they are going to continue seizing particularly the ones who did some scams. MacAfee, holt (that German Satoshi), and Ruscha Ignatowa the one coin fraudster. if we see an unknown name who are connected to ICO scam back in 2017, i'd really be amazed how they tracked them.

[bbc.reporter]

Great news for cryptocurrency. As young as it is, cryptocurrency is already populated with all kinds of scammers and scam projects. It needs thorough cleansing. These scams are destroying the name of crypto and even of Bitcoin. A lot of people equate Bitcoin with crypto.

Anyway, I'm not sure if this One Coin ponzi which Ruscha Ignatowa is operating is the same One Coin which has become somehow popular in my country. If it is, I hope they will stumble upon this news and be enlightened that what they are getting into is false hope.

I would argue that it was already great news for cryptocurrency that it is presently being used for all types of criminality. Also, it is very hypocritical to say the cryptospace needs thorough cleansing. These coins are not holy objects. They are only software tools for everyone including criminals. What needs thorough cleansing is the whole world if you want thorough cleansing.

[yhiaali3]

I don't know why the British police didn't mention the name of the woman they arrested or the cryptocurrencies they seized, they should have explained this information more accurately!!! In any case, I think that they will fill the world with noise because of cryptocurrencies because the first charge they are trying to attach to cryptocurrencies is money laundering, so this case will be a very good opportunity for them.
Money laundering is a crime punishable by law in all countries and it existed before the existence of cryptocurrencies and of course it became easier after the existence of cryptocurrencies, but criminals should be punished instead of blaming cryptocurrencies because criminals do not refrain from using any means to launder their dirty money. Also, these governments should be blamed for their failure to regulate cryptocurrencies, which leads to the further spread of such cases.

[btc78]

I don't know why the British police didn't mention the name of the woman they arrested or the cryptocurrencies they seized, they should have explained this information more accurately!!!

Maybe they have reason why they still holding the details inside the arrest , maybe there are follow up investigation and they don't want those other participants to be alerted and flew out of the country while in Hunt , remember that this cost millions of dolalrs so there is no impossible for them to do.

In any case, I think that they will fill the world with noise because of cryptocurrencies because the first charge they are trying to attach to cryptocurrencies is money laundering, so this case will be a very good opportunity for them.

And i believe that is what they are imposing to happen .

Money laundering is a crime punishable by law in all countries and it existed before the existence of cryptocurrencies and of course it became easier after the existence of cryptocurrencies, but criminals should be punished instead of blaming cryptocurrencies because criminals do not refrain from using any means to launder their dirty money. Also, these governments should be blamed for their failure to regulate cryptocurrencies, which leads to the further spread of such cases.

I have not read anything about Them Blaming crypto ? if there are someone to be blamed here ? those are the Stupid investors that still believes in  Sugar coated lips of these scammers.

[xSkylarx]

I don't know why the British police didn't mention the name of the woman they arrested or the cryptocurrencies they seized, they should have explained this information more accurately!!!

Maybe they have reason why they still holding the details inside the arrest , maybe there are follow up investigation and they don't want those other participants to be alerted and flew out of the country while in Hunt , remember that this cost millions of dolalrs so there is no impossible for them to do.

In any case, I think that they will fill the world with noise because of cryptocurrencies because the first charge they are trying to attach to cryptocurrencies is money laundering, so this case will be a very good opportunity for them.

And i believe that is what they are imposing to happen .

Money laundering is a crime punishable by law in all countries and it existed before the existence of cryptocurrencies and of course it became easier after the existence of cryptocurrencies, but criminals should be punished instead of blaming cryptocurrencies because criminals do not refrain from using any means to launder their dirty money. Also, these governments should be blamed for their failure to regulate cryptocurrencies, which leads to the further spread of such cases.

I have not read anything about Them Blaming crypto ? if there are someone to be blamed here ? those are the Stupid investors that still believes in  Sugar coated lips of these scammers.

You are correct; I believe she is not the only one involved in this type of ponzi scheme and does not want some information made public so that others can be arrested. This is the first time I've heard of someone being caught in a ponzi scheme in crypto. We all know there are a lot of ponzi schemes right now, and I'm not sure what the status is after they run the money.I don't think the police or the authorities caught any of these people, but now that I've read this, I think it's really good news.

[Kong Hey Pakboy]

I don't know why the British police didn't mention the name of the woman they arrested or the cryptocurrencies they seized, they should have explained this information more accurately!!! In any case, I think that they will fill the world with noise because of cryptocurrencies because the first charge they are trying to attach to cryptocurrencies is money laundering, so this case will be a very good opportunity for them.

Probably because the investigation is still ongoing so they don't have to worry that the public will get in when the investigation is still on the way and until they find everything that they need to have the damning evidences presented. I think that not revealing the name is a standard procedure for many police around the world.

[Lorence.xD]

What's going to happen to the money that was seized by the authorities? Will it be considered an evidence so it won't be circulated? I think that's how they do it when it comes to this seized assets and currency no matter what happens. That's a lot of cryptocurrency for someone not known among the crypto circles, I am sure that this is a big laundering thing because that amount of money isn't parked for a long time unless they want to clean something through cryptocurrency.

[Renampun]

...

I didn't read the news to the end but I hope it's really her...

The Ponzi scheme carried out by the founders of One Coin is the largest in the history of cryptocurrencies and has caused great damage. it is proper for fraudsters who use Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies like this to be in prison for life and even death.

[peter0425]

British police seize record $408 million haul of cryptocurrency

It's big news a 39 year old woman was arrested in connection with money laundering in excess of £114 million cryptocurrency. The same woman's being questioned by British police after more than £180 million of cryptocurrency was discovered later. They've linked over £294 million of cryptocurrency directly to her, that's $408 million. Maybe they'll find more.

The first name in my head was Ruscha Ignatowa she's a Bulgarian fraudster. She was a founder of the One Coin ponzi but wiki shows her age at 41 not 39. She's been sentenced by US authorities for wire fraud, securities fraud and money laundering.

British police didn't name the woman they'd arrested or name the cryptocurrencies they seized but if it's her it's certain she'll get extradited to the US where she'll face up to 90 years jail for the ponzi.

408 million dollars are huge amount to be seized by the government .

and this proves how good the UK authority in seeking for their victims people .

[Shenzou]

With the nature of cryptocurrency and how annonymous it is , you would think thta people who would use it for no good would never get found and the criminals themselves would prove to be smarter than the usla ones that use fiat, but time and time again this is proven wrong with people getting busted for laundaring millions of dollars, it is a good thing to see the bad ones get caught but it also makes you question how anonymous using crypto is if it is at all.

[buwaytress]

Think you're right OP. If it's that amount of crypto belonging to one person, the age fits right, and she has been suspected to be in London, just surprised it took police so long to locate her, given how highly visible she was at one point, and how well-surveilled the UK (and especially London) is. I was led to think by Spooks their network could face-ID someone in hours haha!

The police claimed they seized cryptocurrency, however, the article does not say how and what they seized. I am skeptical. They might not have seized anything and if they seized something, what kind of cryptocoins? It might be a wallet full of Binance smartchain tokens hehehe.

Even better if they got all the master "wallets" of Onecoin;)

[zanezane]

With the nature of cryptocurrency and how annonymous it is , you would think thta people who would use it for no good would never get found and the criminals themselves would prove to be smarter than the usla ones that use fiat, but time and time again this is proven wrong with people getting busted for laundaring millions of dollars, it is a good thing to see the bad ones get caught but it also makes you question how anonymous using crypto is if it is at all.

It's only anonymous on the ledger until you follow it's trail. Cryptocurrency except for privacy coins are pseudonymous meaning that their offered anonymity has limits and can still be tracked. Also, the people that are sloppy are the ones that get caught by the authority, like the mythological Hydra, these money laundering operation only gets strong the more you cut off it's head.

[hd49728]

If you were in crypto market for years and long enough, you would realize that fud and news about crypto crackdown, arrest, lawsuits always appear when Bitcoin is in correction?

They, whales, governments prepare all things and work together to release news and fud the market during bearish period.

Don't worry, they all will be go away. You will go through the eventful period after a few more months.

[arabspaceship123]

Well if she got the bitcoin via fraud then she deserves to rot in jail. That’s a large bitcoin stash which clearly has been gotten via illegal means. I hope that somehow some of the victims can be reimbursed.

In their media the British police didn't mention which cryptocurrencies they seized so we don't know if was bitcoin.

If she was devious enough to accrue that much, I have a feeling she may be hiding a lot more cryptocurrency in other locations. For all the talk about people using Bitcoin to commit crimes, when you see cases like this you cannot help but wonder what sort of resources that government agencies are now working with in order to trace the money - after all it can get funneled very transparently into rather few wallets at the point of consolidation. I wonder if they hacked the wallets (or the devices they were on) first before arresting her, or she ended up giving away the wallet access in some other way. It would also be interesting to know at what point she bought into Bitcoin because the original owners could ironically be sitting on a huge windfall of cash if it was purchased before the most recent price hikes, even if they weren't cashing out at the all time high.

She had a devious streak that's why she's become rich by deception but she's ended up in jail. I'd like them to release the details of her case.  There's a strong prospect she's a front working for bigger criminals that's why she got caught if she's the face that other criminals know while the real masterminds hide in the shadows.

This gives cryptocurrency a bad reputation because the word crime becomes associated with it. It's not helping when positive sides to cryptocurrencies aren't seen by new interested audiences when it's being used by criminals and mentioned in newspapers.

Perhaps there’s more accomplices in this fraud since that’s a lot of money and effort to be able to accrue such an enormous amount. It’s good that she was nabbed even before she’s able to do more damage in the ecosystem. Even if she was able to hide millions somewhere, if the prison sentence is extremely lengthy, it wouldn’t matter since she can never use it.

British police should search for her accomplices to stop this fraud and ponzi from expanding even further. It’s highly improbable that it’s just a one-man crew with that huge amount.

There's no possibility she's working alone. It's possible they've arrested her accomplices but haven't told the media.

That's a huge amount that has been confiscated, I hope those who had been victims will return the money to them because that's their money.  For sure there are more unrevealed amounts because the investigation is ongoing.  But my question is why the British authorities didn't disclose what cryptocurrency it is.

It's a huge amount that's got seized. The 7000 bitcoin stolen from Binance in 2019 is $225 million so do you think it's related to this case ?

Think you're right OP. If it's that amount of crypto belonging to one person, the age fits right, and she has been suspected to be in London, just surprised it took police so long to locate her, given how highly visible she was at one point, and how well-surveilled the UK (and especially London) is. I was led to think by Spooks their network could face-ID someone in hours haha!

It's been reported she's used places in London to hide. Maybe the police arrested Ruscha Ignatowa if she became complacent maybe it isn't even her, we'll have to wait until the police announce it.

[7788bitcoin]

The first name in my head was Ruscha Ignatowa she's a Bulgarian fraudster. She was a founder of the One Coin ponzi but wiki shows her age at 41 not 39. She's been sentenced by US authorities for wire fraud, securities fraud and money laundering.

British police didn't name the woman they'd arrested or name the cryptocurrencies they seized but if it's her it's certain she'll get extradited to the US where she'll face up to 90 years jail for the ponzi.

That would be awesome if everyone on that One Coin Ponzi are caught, they made a mockery and there were many that supported them and there were many scams but the One Coin one was really huge and they disappeared for years and glad to hear that scammers are going behind bars even if it takes a few years, you cannot run and avoid the authorities especially when the amount stolen is huge.

[Bitstar_coin]

It is news like this that make crypto to appear bad before the public, even money laundry is not only carried out in crypto, I can't believe a woman is this vicious and has no scrupuls, base on the description made by the op I would say this lady has quite a rich resume in this regard, because of that the authorities will treat this case very seriously, 90 years is a lifetime for someone to be locked away for, it means she will most likely spend the rest of her live in jail.

[randegibran]

this is indeed a very extraordinary.thing that was.done by this woman, but this crime really cannot.be allowed to happen to anyone and it is not appropriate to be.imitated or imitated.by many groups or other Ponzi.systems, because of these.crimes like it should.get a life imprisonment.because crimes.such as selling human organs.or selling illegal.drugs that are strictly.prohibited by any country

[arabspaceship123]

Even if it's her some owners won't claim their share of stolen cryptocurrency because they don't want to surrender anonymity. Most One Coin victims who can't prove ownership of funds could find happiness if she's put behind bars so that's the only route victims can be happy about.

I'm sure the police's going to hold auctions selling what they seized. There's chances more is going to be seized. It's $408 million but they're still questioning her and still looking in to the crime.

That would be awesome if everyone on that One Coin Ponzi are caught, they made a mockery and there were many that supported them and there were many scams but the One Coin one was really huge and they disappeared for years and glad to hear that scammers are going behind bars even if it takes a few years, you cannot run and avoid the authorities especially when the amount stolen is huge.

[Stedsm]

3 cheers to the British Police for such an achievement, and a slap on their faces who say that crypto is only used for money laundering and criminals run away with the money and can't be found out. This shows that crypto is highly capable in dealing with these criminals because it's all done electronically and online, so there are many traces left of a person to find him out (except Satoshi, as he is a next-level genius). This is not the case with fiat and if it's cash, no wonder the criminal will never be caught in most cases.

[dkbit98]

Ruja Ignatova is now 41 years old and with all her diplomatic passports I doubt they really arrested her, and she is probably hiding somewhere in arab world under the protection of some rich prince.
They confiscated a lot of money but UK government legally steals much more money from their everyday tax extortion all the time, like all the parasites are doing.

[bryant.coleman]

Ruja Ignatova is now 41 years old and with all her diplomatic passports I doubt they really arrested her, and she is probably hiding somewhere in arab world under the protection of some rich prince.
They confiscated a lot of money but UK government legally steals much more money from their everyday tax extortion all the time, like all the parasites are doing.

Ruja Ignatova is the tip of the iceberg. Do you really believe that she did the OneCoin scam alone? I don't even think that she was the mastermind. These things will be clarified only of she is caught and interrogated. But it looks as if some very powerful people are behind the OneCoin scam, and they are either hiding her or they have eliminated her without a trace. Looking at her biodata, I can't believe that she can organize all this. The mastermind is someone else. Ignatova is just a mask to hide the real culprit. The same can be said about many of the scandals involving cryptocurrency.

[arabspaceship123]

It's what I'm thinking Ruja Ignatova's role in One Coin was just a mask she wasn't the mastermind. If she's caught she's lost a bargaining position but if she's hiding out there she should've made a deal with the police years ago giving names for immunity. The police website hasn't been updated with the name of the woman they've arrested.

Ruja Ignatova is the tip of the iceberg. Do you really believe that she did the OneCoin scam alone? I don't even think that she was the mastermind. These things will be clarified only of she is caught and interrogated. But it looks as if some very powerful people are behind the OneCoin scam, and they are either hiding her or they have eliminated her without a trace. Looking at her biodata, I can't believe that she can organize all this. The mastermind is someone else. Ignatova is just a mask to hide the real culprit. The same can be said about many of the scandals involving cryptocurrency.

[qwertyup23]

I agree that those who commit crimes such as money laundering should be arrested and given a punishment commensurate with their actions. I also want people on this forum to do good, not do something criminal that can harm other people.

Unfortunately, this is one of those instances where crimes that are related to cryptocurrencies contribute to its overall stigma, in which it influences the decision in attracting new investors.

This woman committed money laundering and other similar crimes as well. She deserves to be put behind bars since she committed acts which are against the laws of the State. No matter what happens, even if cryptocurrencies do have anonymity, if you use it for any other purpose that is contrary to law, you bear all the necessary consequences attached to it.

[dunfida]

If she is guilty, then let her serve her jail term as that will teach her lessons and also others who louder money through cryptocurrency. These are the people who give cryptocurrency bad images before the government, which always results in a dangerous policy against cryptocurrency.

Scams are already existing even before crypto but i do get your point which is actually happening that these frauds turns out to give bad impressions even more to the public and to the government.

About on OP's post, that serves her right that she would really be imprisoned for 90 years.Why they havent just declared on lifetime prison? Are they tending to accept some bail?

I do still remember that Onecoin craze wayback on where people do mostly talk without even realizing that it isnt even a legit coin or crypto after all.It doesnt have a blockchain.

[7788bitcoin]

~
Unfortunately, this is one of those instances where crimes that are related to cryptocurrencies contribute to its overall stigma, in which it influences the decision in attracting new investors.

There is no hiding from the fact that the cryptocurrency market was riddled with scam and if you are not careful with your investment you are bound to loose your money, even now if you enter any DEX and if you are not familiar with the market and how to verify the contract address you will get scammed and we are hearing these on a daily basis. You need to be careful and it is good to hear that a scammer is caught and hopefully more will be behind bars in the coming years.

[Quidat]

If she is guilty, then let her serve her jail term as that will teach her lessons and also others who louder money through cryptocurrency. These are the people who give cryptocurrency bad images before the government, which always results in a dangerous policy against cryptocurrency.

Scams are already existing even before crypto but i do get your point which is actually happening that these frauds turns out to give bad impressions even more to the public and to the government.

About on OP's post, that serves her right that she would really be imprisoned for 90 years.Why they havent just declared on lifetime prison? Are they tending to accept some bail?

I do still remember that Onecoin craze wayback on where people do mostly talk without even realizing that it isnt even a legit coin or crypto after all.It doesnt have a blockchain.

I remember a friend of mine that had invited me to invest with this coin and when i do check out then it isnt even listed on coinmarketcap on that time and doesnt
even have some explorer for me to check out about their transactions like ex. hashes or something like that and i do concluded out that was a scam and my friend do really get mad of
me because it turns out to be a referral type which is obviously a ponzi scheme and since i was already experienced on that time in terms of possible scams
then i do really saved up my ass on that time and this founder had just been arrested then its indeed a great news.

[Ryker1]

~
Unfortunately, this is one of those instances where crimes that are related to cryptocurrencies contribute to its overall stigma, in which it influences the decision in attracting new investors.

There is no hiding from the fact that the cryptocurrency market was riddled with scam and if you are not careful with your investment you are bound to loose your money, even now if you enter any DEX and if you are not familiar with the market and how to verify the contract address you will get scammed and we are hearing these on a daily basis. You need to be careful and it is good to hear that a scammer is caught and hopefully more will be behind bars in the coming years.

Well, sometimes I am thinking that this is the disadvantage of bitcoin or other altcoins, the transaction is irreversible and once it was sent, there is no way to claim back your crypto. Since before, this is not new that cryptocurrencies are prone to any illegal activity just scam and fraud, people should always be careful dealing with people online through the internet before putting their investment into other hands. That is a huge amount that has been seized, those people who were scam will perhaps be happy they saw that the one who scammed them has been got caught, my question is, are their money will come back into their hands or it will remain on the British authority.

[arabspaceship123]

You reminded me One Coin didn't have a blockchain. It was filled with hype publicity and was obviously a ponzi but people flocked to it because they'd fallen for the trap Ruja Ignatova put there. Now I'm thinking the British police didn't arrest Ruja Ignatova so it's another woman or else they'd release big information on the news.

Scams are already existing even before crypto but i do get your point which is actually happening that these frauds turns out to give bad impressions even more to the public and to the government.

About on OP's post, that serves her right that she would really be imprisoned for 90 years.Why they havent just declared on lifetime prison? Are they tending to accept some bail?

I do still remember that Onecoin craze wayback on where people do mostly talk without even realizing that it isnt even a legit coin or crypto after all.It doesnt have a blockchain.

[temple]

I don't know why the British police didn't mention the name of the woman they arrested or the cryptocurrencies they seized, they should have explained this information more accurately!!! In any case, I think that they will fill the world with noise because of cryptocurrencies because the first charge they are trying to attach to cryptocurrencies is money laundering, so this case will be a very good opportunity for them.
Money laundering is a crime punishable by law in all countries and it existed before the existence of cryptocurrencies and of course it became easier after the existence of cryptocurrencies, but criminals should be punished instead of blaming cryptocurrencies because criminals do not refrain from using any means to launder their dirty money. Also, these governments should be blamed for their failure to regulate cryptocurrencies, which leads to the further spread of such cases.

Well, the fact of the matter is that indeed opportunities do make thieves and it is quite easy to try it with crypto. I am not saying it is easy to pull it off successfully, but if you got some criminal energy, perhaps a situation in life where it is even easier to justify for yourself, crypto is an option. Perhaps the best option people like her have. I believe though that a lot of people underestimate the effort i requires to not get caught eventually. She probably wasn't on her own, so maybe someone else made a mistake that led to her and what not. The sum is large enough and represents incentive enough even for whistleblowers who might have known what she is/was doing.

[Robinson66]

They think that cryptocurrency is completely anonymous, and this is the mistake they made. They do not fully understand Bitcoin, which also shows that no matter what crime you use, the police can catch you. This is the advantage of the Internet. I hope that there will be no Ponzi schemes. Everyone must be careful when trading.

[JillianTaft]

It is said that there are very few women in the encryption field. This woman is really crazy. I think this is not something she can do alone. Maybe there is someone behind her and it is not convenient to make it public. I really want to know how to deal with the seized cryptocurrency, will it be returned to the victim?

[Yamifoud]

She committed a crime and that she needs to pay for that.
Anyone who acts illegally will soon be caught and put in jail but it was too sad that cryptocurrency has also involved with this. It is sometimes to think that many illegal activities happen using crypto and this is how some authorities hated it much.
Scammer, money launderer, and many other, they are using the feature of being anonymous to hide their illegal activities and we find it how it ruins the image in general.

[LogitechMouse]

I still remember this Onecoin ponzi scheme that happened years ago but unfortunately, the perpetrator didn't caught.

Now the police didn't give information to this woman that they arrested neither the name or anything but if this is the Onecoin owner that scammed many people then many investors of it might be happy at least because of what happened.

Let the police handle this case. There are no proofs still that this woman really is the promoter of Onecoin but if she is then he must be sentenced to 90 years in jail because of what she did. $408 million sure is a large money .

[arabspaceship123]

The police haven't confirmed who they've caught we don't know her name maybe it's not Ruja Ignatova. The woman they've arrested couldn't work alone because $408 million's big amount to accrue. Even if they tried their best to hide from police they've made mistakes that's why they've been arrested. An insider whistleblower could've informed police about her, loyalty doesn't exist if the whistleblower's going to get a share of $408 million fortune.

Well, the fact of the matter is that indeed opportunities do make thieves and it is quite easy to try it with crypto. I am not saying it is easy to pull it off successfully, but if you got some criminal energy, perhaps a situation in life where it is even easier to justify for yourself, crypto is an option. Perhaps the best option people like her have. I believe though that a lot of people underestimate the effort i requires to not get caught eventually. She probably wasn't on her own, so maybe someone else made a mistake that led to her and what not. The sum is large enough and represents incentive enough even for whistleblowers who might have known what she is/was doing.

[arabspaceship123]

The police didn't say which cryptocurrency was seized when the 39 year old woman was arrested. It could've been bitcoin or a mix we don't know.

What will they do with these bitcoins?

[temple]

The police haven't confirmed who they've caught we don't know her name maybe it's not Ruja Ignatova. The woman they've arrested couldn't work alone because $408 million's big amount to accrue. Even if they tried their best to hide from police they've made mistakes that's why they've been arrested. An insider whistleblower could've informed police about her, loyalty doesn't exist if the whistleblower's going to get a share of $408 million fortune.

Well, the fact of the matter is that indeed opportunities do make thieves and it is quite easy to try it with crypto. I am not saying it is easy to pull it off successfully, but if you got some criminal energy, perhaps a situation in life where it is even easier to justify for yourself, crypto is an option. Perhaps the best option people like her have. I believe though that a lot of people underestimate the effort i requires to not get caught eventually. She probably wasn't on her own, so maybe someone else made a mistake that led to her and what not. The sum is large enough and represents incentive enough even for whistleblowers who might have known what she is/was doing.

That is the point. The larger the number of people involved and the more complex it becomes to hide every single step, the more likely it is to get caught. As I said, the police might even have more people on their radar, but the incentive might not be high enough. If you launder 4,000 USD, the police might not want to spend resources right now to catch you. A lot of people may think they laundered some amount successfully, but I guess many of them are already on a list.

[carlfebz2]

You reminded me One Coin didn't have a blockchain. It was filled with hype publicity and was obviously a ponzi but people flocked to it because they'd fallen for the trap Ruja Ignatova put there. Now I'm thinking the British police didn't arrest Ruja Ignatova so it's another woman or else they'd release big information on the news.

On what point on why they are making that show if they could simply made in silent way if they had already arrested the real one?Its no point that they would really be announcing it publicly

because if they do then they would really be flocked out by those investors who had lost their money in Onecoin.Im not aware on this project though but everyone that do commit

some fraud or crime should really face the consequences and imagine on how big the money had been stole or scam out then 90 years is not enough.

[cheezcarls]

British police seize record $408 million haul of cryptocurrency

It's big news a 39 year old woman was arrested in connection with money laundering in excess of £114 million cryptocurrency. The same woman's being questioned by British police after more than £180 million of cryptocurrency was discovered later. They've linked over £294 million of cryptocurrency directly to her, that's $408 million. Maybe they'll find more.

The first name in my head was Ruja Ignatova she's a Bulgarian fraudster. She was a founder of the One Coin ponzi but wiki shows her age at 41 not 39. She's been sentenced by US authorities for wire fraud, securities fraud and money laundering.

British police didn't name the woman they'd arrested or name the cryptocurrencies they seized but if it's her it's certain she'll get extradited to the US where she'll face up to 90 years jail for the ponzi.

Yeah she deserved it! Karma is real!! I remember back a couple of years ago before pandemic began, I met a good friend where she also invested on One Coin. She admitted about losing a lot of money in that ponzi scam because of not doing the homework.

I just hope the police would not dump the market lol!

[arabspaceship123]

That is the point. The larger the number of people involved and the more complex it becomes to hide every single step, the more likely it is to get caught. As I said, the police might even have more people on their radar, but the incentive might not be high enough. If you launder 4,000 USD, the police might not want to spend resources right now to catch you. A lot of people may think they laundered some amount successfully, but I guess many of them are already on a list.

If there's many people involved it's obvious someone's left clues the police spotted. It's likely she's going to name names because she doesn't want to go to prison. The police website news haven't updated but I'm confident it's not Ruja Ignatova because she's big news they wouldn't be able to hide it.

On what point on why they are making that show if they could simply made in silent way if they had already arrested the real one?Its no point that they would really be announcing it publicly

because if they do then they would really be flocked out by those investors who had lost their money in Onecoin.Im not aware on this project though but everyone that do commit

some fraud or crime should really face the consequences and imagine on how big the money had been stole or scam out then 90 years is not enough.

All we know is she's 39 years old so it might not be Ruja Ignatova. We don't know who's been arrested we're waiting for the police to give info.

[temple]

That is the point. The larger the number of people involved and the more complex it becomes to hide every single step, the more likely it is to get caught. As I said, the police might even have more people on their radar, but the incentive might not be high enough. If you launder 4,000 USD, the police might not want to spend resources right now to catch you. A lot of people may think they laundered some amount successfully, but I guess many of them are already on a list.

If there's many people involved it's obvious someone's left clues the police spotted. It's likely she's going to name names because she doesn't want to go to prison. The police website news haven't updated but I'm confident it's not Ruja Ignatova because she's big news they wouldn't be able to hide it.

On what point on why they are making that show if they could simply made in silent way if they had already arrested the real one?Its no point that they would really be announcing it publicly

because if they do then they would really be flocked out by those investors who had lost their money in Onecoin.Im not aware on this project though but everyone that do commit

some fraud or crime should really face the consequences and imagine on how big the money had been stole or scam out then 90 years is not enough.

All we know is she's 39 years old so it might not be Ruja Ignatova. We don't know who's been arrested we're waiting for the police to give info.

She would need very good lawyers to get away with no prison. Not only good lawyers, but outstandingly valuable information for the police such that they offer her a deal. Anyway, I can't imagine her walking straight into freedom very soon.

This just reminded me of Gerald Cotten from QuadrigaCX, the guy who went to India then allegedly died from some disease after 9 days and never returned. Just to let you guys know, there will soon be a documentary about it, just google:

$215,000,000 missing: Mysterious death of the CEO of Canada’s largest cryptocurrency firm explored in documentary

[kryptqnick]

Cases like that can be bad publicity for Bitcoin, although it's unfair since it's a ponzi scheme (and thus a crime regardless of whether it's crypto-related), and it's not about Bitcoin at all, and not about compromising the reputation of any major altcoins either.
Also, while I think that some punishment is in order when scammers are caught, I think 90 years of prison is too tough... Why not focus on the financial part in these cases? Since they seized so much money, surely they could (although probably won't) return this money to victims. Plus, they could make her pay some big fines as well and limit access to finance-related work positions. I think such actions would be more useful to society than spending taxpayers' money and totally ruining one's life with a life sentence.

[randegibran]

what the British police.have done is.very appropriate, don't give any space to people who want to commit.crimes anywhere and in.any form because it.is very.detrimental to others.the law must.also be strict.for people who do this so that they can.provide deterrent.effect for.criminals not to do it.again in.the future, we also hope that this does not happen in.this forum because it.can.harm other people

[Btcvilla]

what the British police do is very appropriate to reduce crime, the criminal is very worthy of being punished in accordance with applicable law and the crime is very suitable for big-time criminals who have harmed many people, and we are in this forum I hope that this doesn't happen to us, because it is very detrimental to others

[arabspaceship123]

If she's lost $408 million I'm confident she won't have money to pay for expensive lawyers. She'll get a free lawyer funded by the state. If she supplies info on her team she's getting a reduced prison term but I'm sure she's not walking free without serving years in jail.

She would need very good lawyers to get away with no prison. Not only good lawyers, but outstandingly valuable information for the police such that they offer her a deal. Anyway, I can't imagine her walking straight into freedom very soon.

This just reminded me of Gerald Cotten from QuadrigaCX, the guy who went to India then allegedly died from some disease after 9 days and never returned. Just to let you guys know, there will soon be a documentary about it, just google:

$215,000,000 missing: Mysterious death of the CEO of Canada’s largest cryptocurrency firm explored in documentary

[pinggoki]

Quite possible that the ones found weren't all of the money she had kept from profiteering and fraudster. Many rich individuals who had a taste of money laundering would quite agree that it is never wise to put all your eggs in one basket, which goes for both investing and funnily enough money laundering too. Hopefully the money seized from this putrid excuse of a woman could be reinstated and returned to her victims in a way or another.

Cases like that can be bad publicity for Bitcoin, although it's unfair since it's a ponzi scheme (and thus a crime regardless of whether it's crypto-related), and it's not about Bitcoin at all, and not about compromising the reputation of any major altcoins either.
Also, while I think that some punishment is in order when scammers are caught, I think 90 years of prison is too tough... Why not focus on the financial part in these cases? Since they seized so much money, surely they could (although probably won't) return this money to victims. Plus, they could make her pay some big fines as well and limit access to finance-related work positions. I think such actions would be more useful to society than spending taxpayers' money and totally ruining one's life with a life sentence.

For me it could work both ways, signifying that no one is above the law, not even bitcoin owners could give some people who are skeptical about bitcoin's tough privacy and security a little bit of relief knowing that criminals and bitcoin thieves can still very well be caught with enough manpower and dedication from the appropriate sectors. Or like what you said it could also scare them from investing since their first impression of bitcoin was for criminals to launder their money into.

[verita1]

In the digital media I found no mention of the arrest of Ruja Ignatova 'Cryptoqueen'. Perhaps it is a rumor but remembering the criminal act of this woman and her organization was one more reason for wanting to kill bitcoin with her shameless ponzi scheme and she did not succeed now she is a fugitive and sooner or later she will have to respond to justice.

Sometimes I think that criminals have a mental lapse, do they really believe that they will succeed in their crimes? There is no perfect crime, greed always comes out at some point showing the clues that something is wrong.
From something bad that happens we always collect good things now we can know how to recognize a scam project.

The following article points out that Ruja Ignatova may own 230,000 bitcoins.

https://news.bitcoin.com/lawsuit-claims-onecoins-cryptoqueen-ruja-ignatova-holds-230000-bitcoin/

[romero121]

It was one of the biggest ponzi/fraudster act in the cryptospace. Once the news about her was a big talk in the community, because of the onecoin which is termed to grow above bitcoin. By the time myself searched for documentary about onecoin and got astonished to watch the way she motivate people to invest on onecoin. None believe she had a thought of scamming, when everyone realise it the investments were taken by her and few more.

After a long hearing news about her. It is good she's caught and this will be a lesson to such kind of person who are hidden in the cryptospace.

[rina aulia]

If she's lost $408 million I'm confident she won't have money to pay for expensive lawyers. She'll get a free lawyer funded by the state. If she supplies info on her team she's getting a reduced prison term but I'm sure she's not walking free without serving years in jail.

If the police have confiscated all her assets but why did the woman get paid expensive lawyers by the state to find out the truth, I'm sure the perpetrator will give up saying anything because he doesn't want to enjoy his own prison if onecoin is the biggest scammer community.

[temple]

If she's lost $408 million I'm confident she won't have money to pay for expensive lawyers. She'll get a free lawyer funded by the state. If she supplies info on her team she's getting a reduced prison term but I'm sure she's not walking free without serving years in jail.

She would need very good lawyers to get away with no prison. Not only good lawyers, but outstandingly valuable information for the police such that they offer her a deal. Anyway, I can't imagine her walking straight into freedom very soon.

This just reminded me of Gerald Cotten from QuadrigaCX, the guy who went to India then allegedly died from some disease after 9 days and never returned. Just to let you guys know, there will soon be a documentary about it, just google:

$215,000,000 missing: Mysterious death of the CEO of Canada’s largest cryptocurrency firm explored in documentary

Well, it is not unusual that in such high profile cases world class lawyers show up and assume your case for a cut in case there should be a chance for success. As crypto is a hot topic with a lot of media attention and almost half a billion is at risk, who knows maybe she is lucky. Or maybe someone else is willing to fund her lawyers. It definitely depends on her quality as a potential whistle blower. If she has nothing to defend herself, there won't be much interest in her case.

[randegibran]

it.is not a small act.of fraud.this is.very detrimental.to many people with such.a large number, what the British police.did was.very appropriate to take action.against criminals.who committed.fraud, and we all hope that these.criminals can.be punished.with a long time, according.to the regulations.in the country, because this.is very detrimental.to other people by deceiving.people, we can.only hope that this does not happen in.this forum forever

[arabspaceship123]

Bitcoin's being linked with crime, the bad publicity's not helping adoption of cryptocurrencies because people get scared.

The police didn't make more announcements about the name of the woman. We know they've seized $408 million but it might be she's got more secrets to give. This woman probably isn't Ruja Ignatova, she'll face up to 90 years jail in US jail if she get caught but she'll make a deal with prosecutors for reducing her term. 

Cases like that can be bad publicity for Bitcoin, although it's unfair since it's a ponzi scheme (and thus a crime regardless of whether it's crypto-related), and it's not about Bitcoin at all, and not about compromising the reputation of any major altcoins either.
Also, while I think that some punishment is in order when scammers are caught, I think 90 years of prison is too tough... Why not focus on the financial part in these cases? Since they seized so much money, surely they could (although probably won't) return this money to victims. Plus, they could make her pay some big fines as well and limit access to finance-related work positions. I think such actions would be more useful to society than spending taxpayers' money and totally ruining one's life with a life sentence.

[Obito]

I don't think that it's "Crypto Queen" or Ruja Ignatova because if it is then probably we would be hearing of the news because she is on FBI's most wanted for fraud. Also, that amount isn't that a lot compared to how much she have stolen during the One Coin arc in her story. Maybe they didn't named the woman for protection and to prevent interruption to police procedure.

[arabspaceship123]

That's what I'm thinking because Ignatova's 41 but the woman arrested by police is 39 it means there's a discrepancy. If it's her it would've been leaked to newspapers and social media so it isn't her.

I don't think that it's "Crypto Queen" or Ruja Ignatova because if it is then probably we would be hearing of the news because she is on FBI's most wanted for fraud. Also, that amount isn't that a lot compared to how much she have stolen during the One Coin arc in her story. Maybe they didn't named the woman for protection and to prevent interruption to police procedure.