Ruja Ignatova is alive, according to Bulgarian police official

Emil Stoyanov, head of the Search Sector at the Bulgarian General Directorate for Combating Organized Crime (SDVR), has stated that Ruja Ignatova, the founder of the OneCoin financial scheme, is still alive. Despite long-standing rumors suggesting she may have been killed in the Ionian Sea in 2018, Stoyanov clarified that there is no operational data or information from foreign services confirming her death.

Ignatova, a German citizen, remains one of the most wanted individuals globally. The search is being conducted through Interpol with the cooperation of authorities in Bulgaria, Germany, and the United States. The FBI continues to offer a $5 million reward for information leading to her capture. Stoyanov noted that her vast financial resources make her extremely difficult to locate, as she has the means to change both her legal identity and physical appearance.