*A NEXT BIG IDEA CLUB MUST-READ BOOK FOR AUGUST 2023*
"[An] exhilarating mix of memoir and true crime. . ." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
The astonishing true story of the coal miner’s daughter who took on the creators of the world’s biggest financial fraud and helped the FBI to convict them
The OneCoin global cryptocurrency fraud stole tens of billions of dollars from ordinary people around the world. Unlike Madoff or Enron, who relieved the world’s wealthiest investors of their cash, the exploiting genius of the OneCoin scam was targeting the poorest people in the world, the “unbanked”—those who struggled to live or get mainstream banking support. The arrogant assumption was that the downtrodden wouldn't have the means or will to fight back. They didn’t reckon on Jen McAdam—a teenage mother, young grandmother, and modern-day Erin Brockovich.
Jen’s father left her £15,000 when he died: his savings from living a careful life in a small Scottish mining town. Jen wanted a safe investment for this money to fund a better life for her family. She was digitally savvy, and she had heard of people making fortunes with Bitcoin. When she saw the promotional material for OneCoin—the founder Dr. Ruja Ignatova featured in major reputable media outlets; videos of celebrity events; gushing video testimonials of people, just like Jen, who had changed their lives—she was entranced.
Only months later, she realized she would never see her money again.
Jen was one of the only victims worldwide to fight back. Despite terrifying attempts to shut down both her and her growing support groups, she fought tirelessly for justice for herself, her family and friends, and the millions around the world who lost everything, in some cases even their lives. This is a true David-and-Goliath story to give us all a message of hope about the power we as individuals can have, even when things seem hopeless.
This gripping true crime story details:
- White Collar Crime: An inside look at the OneCoin Ponzi scheme, a multi-billion-dollar global fraud that preyed on the world’s most vulnerable.
- The Cryptoqueen: The story of the charismatic and ruthless founder, Dr. Ruja Ignatova, and the cult of personality she built to deceive millions.
- A Fight for Justice: The journey of Jen McAdam, a modern-day Erin Brockovich, from victim to whistleblower, facing down terrifying threats to expose the truth.
- The Global Investigation: How one woman’s campaign helped alert the FBI and international authorities to one of the biggest financial crimes in history.
Jennifer McAdam had a long career in the marketing industry before launching her own consultancy working with IT companies throughout Scotland and abroad. Illness forced here to cut back on work, but she remains active in the industry. Since 2016 she has worked full-time, even from her sickbed, through her online Victims’ Support Group to fight for retribution for the OneCoin fraud and to see the perpetrators brought to justice.
