Murdered Bulgarian linked to crypto scam

Forty-nine days before a Bulgarian fugitive was assassinated in Cape Town along with three other people, authorities from that country informed their SA counterparts that he was here – and that they wanted him arrested, reports the Daily Maverick. A closer look at matters linked to Krasimir Kamenov’s name reveals a complex web of organised crime stretching around the world – from a $4bn crypto fraud scheme involving a suspect who may or may not have been killed, to a former policeman’s murder in Bulgaria. Kamenov, his wife, Gergana, and a man and woman believed to be their employees were found dead at a home in Cape Town’s luxury suburb of Constantia a week ago. Investigative Reporting and Data, a partner of the Organised Crime and Corruption Investigation Network, said he was their source relating to a police report about the apparent murder of Ruja Ignatova, a crime suspect from Bulgaria, and that Kamenov ‘was about to say more to US investigators’. Ignatova, who is wanted in the US, allegedly headed a global crypto scam that operated under various names, including OneCoin and OneLife. Whether or not Kamenov had information linked to her – or about a past associate’s ties to her – the Ignatova matter appears to have connections to SA. The alleged scam she headed, OneCoin, based on a Facebook account and YouTube videos, also appeared to be in operation in this country. According to the FBI, she was wanted ‘for her alleged leadership of a massive fraud scheme that affected millions of investors worldwide’.

Full Daily Maverick report