I can’t remember exactly when, but a few years ago I listened to a BBC podcast called “The Missing Cryptoqueen”. It was about the OneCoin scam and it tried to track the origins of its missing founder – Ruja Ignatova. I enjoyed the podcast very much, but didn’t really follow what happened after so I was pretty surprised to see an identically titled book in the library! So of course, I borrowed it.

The Missing Cryptoqueen is the story of how OneCoin was conceived, became insanely popular, and then how it crashed (kinda, it’s still being sold today which is so odd to me). From what I remember of the podcast, the book goes into a lot more detail about the origins and the spread of the scam, detailing its MLM structure that helped it grow and make money for a few select individuals.

I would say that I am surprised the scam went on for as long as I did, but given that it operated in a grey zone and it was basically selling to people that didn’t know any better, I understand why OneCoin managed to scam so many people. What surprised me was that the scam is still going on! That is bonkers too me, I thought various governments would have done their best to shut things down.

The story here is compelling and a bit horrifying because it’s all true. The hardest part to read was about how many people wiped out their savings to “invest” in OneCoin in the hopes of a better future. It really reinforces the despicableness of Ruja’s actions, that she would prey on people’s hopes like that.

If you’ve ever heard of the OneCoin scam and are curious to find out more, or if you enjoyed the podcast and want more detail, definitely check this book out. It’s a deep dive into the world of OneCoin and even includes some new info on where Ruja could be (or how she could be).

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