OneCoin scammers hold event in Italy, authorities make arrests
OneCoin scammers in Italy held an event in Verona over the past few days.
As those in attendance arrived at the airport to leave Italy after the event, authorities swooped in and made several arrests.
OneCoin was banned in Italy back in 2017. That same year Italian authorities fined OneCoin €2.5 million euros for non-compliance.
Despite OneCoin being banned in Italy, scammers continue to promote the Ponzi scheme locally.
The Facebook group “IMA – Italia Indipendent Marketing Association Italia” details an event held over the last few days in Verona, a city in northern Italy.
According to promotional material, the Verona event was run by Simon Le, Habib Zahid and Italian OneCoin promoter Luca Miatton.
Admins of the Italia Indipendent Marketing Association Italia include Marco Agnelli, Nicola Giarcuni, Renato Zin, Luca Miatton, Patrizia Testagrossa, Alessio Mitta Miatoon, G Nithihayah Oliva and Marco Barbagello.
As part of a press-release detailing the digital seizures, Public Prosecutors in Rome have revealed an investigation into six OneCoin promoters.
The investigations, coordinated by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Rome, made it possible to ascertain a well-engineered scam by 6 Italian promoters, some of whom are still active in the North-East, aged between 23 and 52 years who had also involved the lawyer representative of a Roman company for business training.
This investigation lead to the arrest of three OneCoin promoters at Orio al Serio International Airport.
Those arrested were carrying 117,840 euros, which authorities claim are the proceeds of illegal OneCoin investment at the Verona event.
Unfortunately Italian authorities haven’t named the OneCoin promoters they arrested.
It’s unlikely local Italian OneCoin promoters would be trying to leave Italy, so there’s a good chance Simon Le and Habib Zahid might be among those apprehended.
In addition to arresting OneCoin scammers, Italian authorities also claim to have seized one hundred websites and social media accounts related to OneCoin.
Pending authorities making any further announcements regarding the arrests, stay tuned…
Any updates on Simon Le or Habib Zahid’s Facebook or social media outlets today?
Not sure if they released them. The investigation seems to have focused on Italian promoters, so there’s a chance they seized the funds and released them.
Italian authorities haven’t been clear on what happened after the arrests.
Don’t think we’ll be seeing any more OneCoin events in Italy any time soon though.
Nice article admin, and very good work for the authorities who made the arrest, I hope they do well so fewer people will not fall to scams.
I love this kind of updates and news.
They…
…were literally carrying the cash hoarded from the victims the time they were arrested.
The stupidity is undepletable resource indeed.
Well it’s not like they were going to transfer the funds through OneCoin’s non-existent bank accounts now, were they.
And actually using the invested funds to purchase OneCoin tokens you can’t cash out? Lulz.
Better to take your chances with cash stuffed in a suitcase. If you get caught you can always borrow Konstantin’s “I’m an MMA fighter here for training” excuse.
Duncan Arthur gives his description and explanation in a webinar of OneCoin Konstantin Ignatov’s ARREST in the USA & how he was with him at the same time Police authorities from UK appeared at his home when arrived back in the UK.
youtu.be/dz1gHPBh6cY
The full Zoom webinar featuring Duncan Arthur from last evening:
youtu.be/sB3t6ntUveI
One thing worth noticing in the original news article, once again verified that there has in fact been no mining for the coins:
translates roughly to:
I briefly summarize the results of the fraud event in Verona:
1. Everything is fine!
2. Nobody has to worry!
3. Soon we all celebrate the final victory!
I quote the very active scammers from Team Austria:
share-your-photo.com/a0efd4ff26
“Onecoin will be linked to the central bank.”
I have asked this question many times, but today I ask again: which central bank is meant? Which central bank in this world will work with a globally active scam company from Bulgaria?
It just baffles me how they can still hold these events and successfully manage to get funds in from new prospects.
Is human stupidity to blame?
Or is it the sophisticated, extremely well skilled manipulators?
Doh! “The Central Bank” of course! </SARCASM>
No seriously, do you expect the sales speeches of serial fraudsters to make sense?
this turns into the most entertaining thing ever!
Arthur gets fired end of March and gets a block-chain and an independent exchange b4 end-Aug if he is saying the truth. Not possible.
@de Graaff
I also wonder how the scammers manage to attract many people to cheating events. Here is an example from Korea:
share-your-photo.com/d45f577502
Of course we do not know if the given numbers are correct. But the OneCoin believers, we all know, are not intelligent, but extremely stupid – and greedy.
Fraudsters worldwide benefit from this human weakness, not just at OneCoin.
here is a good new article on OneCoin scam:
bitrates.com/news/p/the-outrageous-case-of-onecoin-the-billion-dollar-scam-sold-as-a-bitcoin-killer
I remeber stumbling upon the name Emil Manolov Hurshev (or Harshev) when looking into Bulgarian companies connected to OneCoin / Ignatov crime family. The article provides background on who he is.
These are the kind of shady figures they rely on:
I think these are the the Ignatov’s property companies they are referring:
ANTIK PROPARTI (tr.bivol.bg/view.php?guid=203345128)
UAN PROPARTI (tr.bivol.bg/view.php?guid=203574851)
ELMAZ PROPARTI (tr.bivol.bg/view.php?guid=203923120)
This has been known before but is worth repeating:
Implies that Ruja fled to Asia(?):
Yes indeed. That’s why we need to dumb it down and simplify the message: MLM-ing inherently defaults to the fraud of endless-chain recruiting. They are one in the same.
Keep it simple, and avoid MLM like the plague if you’re an honest person and don’t want to get screwed. Different company names and products are irrelevant to the act of MLM-ing itself.
It’s amazing to me how these marketing hypster scumbags can polish a turd. OneCoin is DEAD!
You’d think they’d at least move on to a newer Ponzi. Some people are so stupid or gullible or just plain greedy.
Asia is a possibility but definiately not Thailand, as Sebastian Greenwood found out they have an extradition treaty with the US.
The reference to Bangkok is probably a OneCoin event she made an appearance at.
Personally I figure Ruja is hiding in an apartment in Dubai somewhere.
No !! I thought that One Coin was finished and never mentioned again well over a year ago?
This all highlights the need for an ongoing international police operation against these type of criminals. Is terrible to think that the Italian police may have let the go.
There was a Bangkok event in 2017 but only in late November. She couldn’t have made public appaerance at it.
Could be also that the writer of the article mixed Bangkok with Macau. I think Macau event in May 2017 was the last major public OneCoin event Ruja participated in.
I don’t believe either that her hideout is in Asia. Dubai is a good guess. If the rumour is based on something other than mistake and she made a trip to Thailad around October 2017, it was probably short trip related to financial matters.
She was in Bangkok on 10-1-17 and made this video of the blockchain live in real time:
NOLINK://youtube.com/watch?t=38s&v=oRYPaDOkLRA&app=desktop
This was her last appearance in public as far as I know.
Lynn, seems the video is gone.
Any news everybody from Greenwood?! Whats the current situation with him, any upcoming court dates, anything?!
Sorry about that. Not sure what happened because it was working last week and now gone. Weird. I also had it on another server, but lost it when I had to replace the old computer with my new one. Double bummer. Trying to find another copy of it, unless someone has a copy and can post the URL here.
This was her last public event in person or video/audio from her. Irina Andreeva Dilkinska also went MIA about the same time as Ruja. I don’t think it was a coincidence but planned by both of them.
Greenwood has been in a black hole since he was extradited from Thailand.
IIRC there have been references to a co-conspirator who has plead guilty to OneCoin related charges and is cooperating with the DOJ.
We haven’t had any concrete clarification it’s Greenwood though, even though there’s a 99% probability it’s him.
Correction to that. Bangkok event with the new blockchain was October 1st, 2016, not 2017.
AFAIK the last time Ruja has been seen is the “Ask Dr.Ruja live webinar” on July 13th, 2017 when she answered questions with “still-at-the-time-CEO” of OneCoin, Pierre Arens:
NOLINK://https://youtu.be/6RmLMyLJg88
So to make a timeline out of this:
– Last public appearance on live webinar with Pierre Arens on July 13th, 2017.
– Kari Wahlroos allegedly visited Sofia Office around October 8th, 2017. He probably saw Ruja there as he said later in Facebook that Dr. Ruja disappeared on October 9th, 2017 which I assume is “from his perspective”.
– New York grand jury indicted Ruja Ignatova on October 12th, 2017.
– Pierre Arens left the OneCoin CEO position on October 20th, 2017.
– According to the Konstantin Ignatov trial material Ruja disappeared after taking a flight to Greece on October 25th, 2017.
@Semjon
You mean the ONELIFE MASTERMIND event from November 30 to December 2. 2017? Ruja was not announced there.
share-your-photo.com/76c7ae45c2
I took a quick look at the video. Speakers were Staffan Liback, Chris Principe, Sebastian Greenwood, Andreea Cimbala, Igor Alberts and Frank Ricketts.
youtube.com/watch?v=HVJqvRTJLdM
This is a great summary:
(Was the Macau event the last OneCoin event she participated?)
I’d add to the list that the last currently known “sign of life” from Ruja is a legal document found from Konstantin’s laptop giving Konstantin full control of Ruja’s property and affairs. Ruja signed it on February 8th 2018. (See page 23 of justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/1141986/download)
This was used against Konstantin in his bail motion proceedings, because the criminal liar tried to fool US authorities:
(page 8 of : courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.516497/gov.uscourts.nysd.516497.90.0.pdf)
Funnily, while in USA, Konstantin “lost” the laptop where the document was found, in a desparate attempt to destroy evidence against him and his crime family:
Also, perhaps worth adding, according to Bulgarian media, Ruja’s yacht was seen in Bourgas, Bulgaria, as late as around October 21st 2017 (See: blitz.bg/obshtestvo/regioni/rodna-milionerka-pristigna-v-burgas-s-40-metrovata-si-yakhta-mestnite-onemyakha-ot-gledkata-snimka_news552210.html)
Seems one of the IMA’s took the 2016 Oct video and re-posted it as happening Oct 2017, which these IMA’s continue to do to try to make people think Ruja is still active.
Otto is correct about when she did the video, and her timeline of appearances and when she went MIA from public view.
Reading recently again the indicments against Ruja her brother and the lawyer, it’s really silent towards Sebastian Greenwood.
What happened to him? Is he still in New York or are they already preparing a new life in a protective witness program for him?
If the Italians can get these scammers, why can’t we get Kari, Juha and the rest of them?
Surely it’s a matter of time before the next OneCoin collapses (or OneCoins) and leaves investors worse for wear.
The serial scammers need to be locked up and barred from business for life.
We don’t know the current status of Greenwood. There’s mention of a cooperating witness who has plead guilty to criminal charges (plea deal).
Can’t remember if it’s in Ruja or Konstantin’s indictment. Anyway seeing as neither Mark Scott, Konstantin Ignatov or Ruja Ignatova have plead guilty, it’s believed the coop witness is Greenwood.
Otherwise he’d have been publicly charged like the rest of them after he was extradited. That’s the most probably theory we have.
It is kinda odd and frustrating to see that not more legal action is taking place tho.
I can see Igor and his wife enjoing their lifes, Staffan ridiculously enthusiastic as always selling sh!t again… and dont tell me the smug Steinkellers are law abiding citizens now…
@Peter Tenner
I agree. Take a look at Kari Wahlroos’ Instagram and the pictures of the luxury cars he likes to post, for example. He has moved on to the next ‘opportunity’ without any consequences.
You have to wonder on whose backs his success is built on?
It all comes down to one thing, an official complaint from someone who lost money,against the company and the persons (scammers) personnaly that got them involved.
A year ago I spoke to someone of Interpol and they confirmed that all it needs is a local criminal fraud complaint first in the country of residence of the victim towards the scammers.
The problem is that no victim does this, so the Igor’s Kari’s Udo’s Andrea’s etc keep going on in their next coin gig, doing again more than 75 Million per month at this moment. Can you imagine where this is going again ?
Before Juha stopped been active in OneCoin he posted photo of 10-year residence visa to United Arab Emirates to Instagram which he removed after few days.
So he at least have some kind of exit plan when things get too hot. Has someone heard anything about him since beginning of this year?
@Hemmo
The ugly, old cheater regularly releases new photos of himself:
instagram.com/juhap58
He also boasted there:
share-your-photo.com/00fc15d41e
I’m surprised that the names of those arrested have not been revealed yet, and if they are still in custody, were released on bail or just released.
Seems odd that they would go to all the trouble of arresting them and then just let them go without any action taken against them.
Constantin Rusu from Leno in Italy also participated in the scam event in Verona. On Facebook, this scammer proudly presents videos of the scam event.
share-your-photo.com/7909733637
Here is an older photo of Constantin Rusu (right) with Luca Miatton (center) and Cristi Calina from Romania (left):
share-your-photo.com/be26660cec
Obviously, the Italians can no longer reach the fraud portals onecoin.eu and onelife.eu:
ilbitcoin.news/onecoin-chiusi-i-siti-onecoin-eu-e-onelife-eu/
Well, my security system blocked onelife.eu due to a trojan, and onecoin.eu was a 504 error and I was using a Bulgarian VPN.
I got the same error message (only it was a 503 error not a 504 error) using Belgium as with Bulgaria and the same trojan message for onelife.eu.
So something seems to be up with the websites.
Hello, onecoin.eu and onelife.eu are blocked (DNS balcklisted) in Italy.
@Lynn I know that there are a number of investigations running in Italy. Regarding the arrest, the proceeding can only be archived upon public prosecutors request at the court, which is very unlikely.
I know that there are a number of OC guys claiming OC is not forbidden, but in fact it is. The AGCM order has been confirmed by the court (just the fine has been temporary suspended, the proceeding is open.
See the relevant docket case at CDS – it is tagged as “ruling soon”: NOLINK://www.giustizia-amministrativa.it/web/guest/dcsnprr “OneCoin” as search term.)
The docket case is located at NOLINK://www.giustizia-amministrativa.it/web/guest/ricorsi-cds Year, 2018 Case number: 00093 REG.RIC.
As you can see, the case regarding the fine is open and not closed as claimed by the OC guys.
The reason for the DNS blacklisting is likely a unpublished court order or a equivalent order by an authority.
Thanks for the information and clarification on the lack of info on who got arrested. Still it would be nice to know.
Hopefully one of the attendees will spill the beans and tell who it was.
Onecoin/OneLife/DealShaker scam event Balidex got some permission from a local Bali provincial government:
Link: i.ibb.co/8ckV55h/Balidex-permission.jpg
Bali/Indonesian authorities should be informed of the true nature of this event and the OneCoin ponzi company behind it.
Notice how they avoid mentioning OneCoin/OneLife in order to avoid authority interest. Here’s the website of the event.
balidex.com/
I don’t get it. OneCoin are holding a promotional event in Bali under the name “Balidex”?
edit: Oh right, it’s a DealShaker expo. Says in the header of the Balidex site.
Geez, who came up with that stupid name.
Balidex is not only a DealShaker expo.
It’s also OneLife Global Mastermind event:
i.ibb.co/hdYj4M0/Balidex-Master-Mind.jpg
Everybody who can, please contact Bali/Indonesian authorities about this.
That’s enough for me.
Let me finish this Neora article and I’ll put something together.
One CEO is in prison and the other is a wanted fugitive in hiding, and OneCoin are still holding scam events in Asia. Unbelievable.
Supplement to comment #36
I can no longer reach the Facebook account of the OneCoin scammer Constantin Rusu from Italy. Was the account deleted?
share-your-photo.com/cff533b9df
facebook.com/constantin.rusu.33
@Melanie,
That Constantin Rusu’s FB profile link works for me, so you have been probably banned accessing the page by the scammer.
@WhistleBlowerFin
Okay thanks. Do you know who the scammer is next to Ruja Ignatova? I know his fraudulent face, but I can not remember his name. 🙁
share-your-photo.com/c034ce185d
The photo was posted on March 22, 2019 by the OneCoin scammer Giro Dicube on Facebook. But he has much less hair on his head. 🙂
share-your-photo.com/5f45bd0763
Also this week, only fantastic news come directly from Sofia! 😀
share-your-photo.com/318900725e
@ Melanie: the guy is Mehail
@Melanie, the person you don’t remember is serbian Black Diamond Mihail Petrovic?
facebook.com/mikayu9
Supplement to comment #50
The idiotic Wonder Wheel exists since February 2017!
share-your-photo.com/87f3045a80
The statement fits: “The network only works with idiots.” 😀
Same to endless wonder lies.
Not true.
It has been active since December 12th, 2016!
NOLINK://https://us9.campaign-archive.com/?u=cf9659fd672fe664d487e7e1b&id=60974aabb6&e=a0e0b3336a
This article shows image of document from National Bank of Rwanda Warning against (pseudo) crypto related scams and pyramid schemes, including Onecoin, dated July 30, 2019.
SOURCE: bitcoinke.io/2019/08/central-bank-of-rwanda-puts-out-a-general-public-warning-notice-against-scam-coins/
Thanks Tim.
Date of the actual warning is May 30th though, we covered the notice here – https://behindmlm.com/companies/onecoin/onecoin-investment-scam-warning-issued-in-rwanda/
New scam event in Italy from 18 to 20 October 2019. In addition to the well-known Italian scammers such as Luca Miatton, Alessio Miatton, Franca Cavaggioni, Marco Agnelli, etc., the Romanian cheater Cristi Calina is announced as a spokesman.
share-your-photo.com/933cb995ca
Are cheating events still going on after the exchange opens? Or will Luca Miatton announce that the exchange will definitely start soon? 😛
Since October 2018, Francesca Arcolin has been actively promoting the OneCoin scam in Italy – here with Luca Miatton:
share-your-photo.com/6444fb298b
share-your-photo.com/be7e00efd0
In this video, OneCoin scammer Luca Miatton from Italy shows, among other things, what he has offered on DealShaker in the past. Obviously without success, because if I search today for offers from Luca Miatton, I find nothing! That sounds logical to me. I would not sell anything if someone offered me worthless OneCoins! 😛
share-your-photo.com/e9855826d3
share-your-photo.com/58b328be19
youtube.com/watch?v=b5AAnn_YCHA
Is anyone interested in a scam portal?
share-your-photo.com/74b3b2420e
In 2016, among other things, the Italian OneCoin scammers claimed on this website:
A few months later the page said:
share-your-photo.com/e86db815cd
At OneCoin, this scammer was registered as “taglia1” and “Virgola”.
The onecoinitalia.it scam portal can also be bought, but the link to the seller does not work for me.
share-your-photo.com/74e64d7d5b