The US Department of Justice has begun accepting claims for compensation from victims of the OneCoin crypto pyramid scheme. Approximately $40 million from seized assets is currently available.
Between 2014 and 2019, the scheme’s organizers collected over $4 billion from investors worldwide. The number of victims is estimated at 3.5 million users.
Victims of OneCoin can submit claims through the Kroll program until June 30. Forms are available on the website, according to the regulator.
Legal Proceedings in the OneCoin Case
OneCoin co-founder Ruja Ignatova remains at large. The FBI added her to its list of the ten most wanted fugitives in June 2022 and offers $250,000 for information leading to her arrest.
The US State Department has announced a separate reward of up to $5 million for capturing Ignatova. While she remains on the run, her accomplices have faced justice in several countries:
- In October 2022, a German court convicted Ignatova’s lawyer, who transferred $23.6 million to the Cayman Islands for purchasing apartments in London. Alongside him, a couple who processed $377 million in OneCoin client payments over a year were charged with money laundering, fraud, and banking crimes;
- OneCoin co-founder Karl Sebastian Greenwood pleaded guilty to fraud and money laundering in the US in December 2022. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison and fined $300 million;
- Head of the legal department Irina Dilkinska was sentenced to four years in prison and fined $111.44 million. She admitted to conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering in November 2023;
- Attorney Mark Scott, who laundered $400 million for the crypto pyramid, received a 10-year prison sentence;
- William Morrow was charged with concealing OneCoin funds through banks: $35 million in Hong Kong and $6 million in the US. He was arrested on April 23, 2024.
Meanwhile, the bankrupt crypto exchange Mt. Gox has postponed creditor payments by a year, now set for October 2026.