The Missing Cryptoqueen

3.8 (6)
DOCUMENTARY

Dr Ruja Ignatova persuaded millions to join her financial revolution. Then she disappeared. Why? Jamie Bartlett presents a story of greed, deceit and herd madness.

1 DAY AGO

Jamie’s New Series: Everything Is Fake

We’re excited to share a taster of Jamie’s new podcast series, Everything Is Fake (And Nobody Cares). Have you noticed that more and more of the world feels, well, fake? Online there's a daily avalanche of dubious advice and information - about health, money, success, happiness - much of it delivered with total confidence and little regard for evidence. There's the fabricated reviews, inflated metrics and synthetic content. Influencers present themselves as authorities. Everything is now content. Performed for likes, not tested for truth. Meanwhile, institutions once trusted to tell us what is true now compete for attention like everyone else - just as new technologies emerge that can generate convincing false information at scale. How did we get here? What can we do about it? And, well, do we really care? In the new six-part series Jamie sets out to understand how, in so many parts of modern life, fakery is no longer punished - it's rewarded. And if that’s the case, why do we seem so unbothered by it? This taster comes from episode one of the series - if you like what you hear, you can listen to every episode of Everything Is Fake right now on BBC Sounds.

11 min
22 JAN

16. Off the Record

OneCoin victims’ advocate Jen McAdam has helped convince hundreds of Dr Ruja’s scam victims to join her lawsuit. With Dr Ruja missing - possibly dead - it feels like this compensation lawsuit is their best shot at justice. But things take an unexpected turn. Featuring footage from: Good Morning Britain/ITV, The Islam brothers, Daniel Leinhardt/Youtube, TikTok/maseratimassage.

32 min
22 JAN

15. Pac-Man

OneCoin victim Jen McAdam lost thousands in the OneCoin scam, and nearly a decade on, it still dominates her life. Jen blames Dr Ruja, but with her still missing - possibly dead - justice looks unlikely. But Jen has a plan, and hundreds of other OneCoin victims join the fightback.

32 min
22 JAN

14. The Cablecar

With the FBI offering a $5m reward for Dr Ruja, her fame reaches new heights. And so does our search for her, with new clues pointing us to Cape Town, South Africa. Featuring footage from: Aron Hyman/The Cape of Cocaine podcast, Heart FM, TikTok/Coolstorybru, The Hunt, documentary series: Die Kryptoqueen - ARD/arte/WDR, Novinite Nova.

32 min
22 JAN

13. The South Africa Connection

New clues about Dr Ruja emerge in an unlikely - and dangerous - place. We pick up the trail with Scottish OneCoin investor Jen McAdam. Since we released the podcast, Jen’s become consumed by the search for Dr Ruja. Despite the evidence pointing to her murder, Jen’s not convinced - should we be? Featuring footage from: Aron Hyman/The Cape of Cocaine podcast by TimesLive, BTV, Novinite Nova, News24, Newzroom Afrika, Heart FM, TikTok/Coolstorybru, The Hunt, documentary series: Die Kryptoqueen - ARD/arte/WDR.

27 min
15 JAN

Coming Soon: Four New Episodes of The Missing Cryptoqueen

It’s been eight years since Dr Ruja Ignatova persuaded millions to join her financial revolution, before disappearing. Jamie Bartlett picks up the story of the now FBI-wanted fugitive; following a trail of greed, deceit, and herd madness.

4 min
03/06/2024

12. Wanted: Dead or Alive?

The search for Dr Ruja Ignatova takes an unexpected turn when a story emerges alleging she's been murdered. But with with sightings of Dr Ruja still coming in long after her apparent demise, can it be true? We speak to the Bulgarian journalists behind the story and team up with BBC colleagues to investigate the murder theory. It takes us on a trail to a Bulgarian man widely suspected of heading an organised crime organisation. Meanwhile, a trusted former adviser to Dr Ruja disappears, just like his old boss. Presenter: Jamie Bartlett Producer: Rob Byrne Executive Producer: Georgia Catt Commissioner: Dylan Haskins Series Editor: Philip Sellars Original music and sound design: Phil Channell Original music and vocals: Dessislava Stefanova and the London Bulgarian Choir Featuring material from: LiveNow from Fox, Radio 100,7. The Missing Cryptoqueen is a BBC Studios Audio production for BBC Sounds and BBC 5Live

33 min
22/12/2022 • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

A short update

From The Missing Cryptoqueen team.

3 min

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Jamie Bartlett

Host

3.8

out of 5

6 Ratings

Great story coverage

08/09/2020

karmen3201

I didn’t catch up with the story back at that time, but I love this series!

Dr Ruja Ignatova persuaded millions to join her financial revolution. Then she disappeared. Why? Jamie Bartlett presents a story of greed, deceit and herd madness.