Ruja Ignatova, the notorious figure behind the OneCoin cryptocurrency scam, is reportedly alive and being hidden by international criminal cartels, according to BBC investigative journalist Yordan Tsalov. Ignatova, who is one of the FBI’s top three most wanted individuals, has a reward of 5 million dollars for information leading to her capture.

Tsalov claims that Ignatova’s criminal network is still active, with people close to her working on a new scheme. He alleges that she remains alive due to her involvement in laundering vast sums of money for criminal organizations, which are now frozen. These funds can only be accessed with her signature, meaning that her continued existence is crucial to accessing these assets. Tsalov pointed out that in August, her lawyer successfully unblocked 50 million dollars in Dubai courts, using Ignatova's supposed authorization.

The journalist suggested that Ignatova could be hiding in places like South Africa or Russia, although the exact location remains uncertain. A recent publication in a local South African paper cited a protected witness, further fueling rumors that she might be in Cape Town. This theory is supported by the murder of her associate, Krasimir Kamenov-Karo, last year in South Africa, which hints at her ongoing criminal activities involving money laundering.

Tsalov also recalled the case of Frank Schneider, a former advisor and spy for Ignatova, who disappeared before his extradition from France to the United States. Schneider had reportedly shared details of Ignatova’s ties to organized crime before vanishing, reinforcing the theory that she is still deeply involved with illicit financial operations.

Meanwhile, despite the FBI's ongoing search for Ignatova, individuals with access to OneCoin’s database have launched a new scam targeting those defrauded by the cryptocurrency scheme. Victims are being contacted by scammers offering to recover their lost funds in exchange for a 100 euro advance. Hundreds of thousands have been tricked, and millions of euros have been swindled.

OneCoin's Sofia office has been shut down for years since Ignatova disappeared in 2017, after embezzling over 4 billion dollars. She has remained a prominent figure on the FBI's wanted list ever since.