Fintopio Founder and Wife Believed Killed in Dubai After Failed Ransom Plot

Monday, 10/11/2025 | 10:20 GMT by Tareq Sikder
  • Roman Novak, ex-fraud convict, founded $500M crypto app before vanishing.
  • Novak couple’s disappearance linked to kidnapping over inaccessible crypto funds.
Roman Novak and Anna Novak, Source: X
Roman Novak and Anna Novak, Source: X

Russian national Roman Novak, convicted of crypto fraud, and his wife Anna are reported by several sources to have been killed in the UAE after being missing for over a month.

Digital assets meet tradfi in London at the fmls25

The couple disappeared in early October after travelling to Hatta, a village southeast of Dubai, reportedly to meet potential investors, Russian outlet Fontanka reported.

Novak had been sentenced to six years in prison in Russia in 2020 for large-scale fraud. After being released on parole, he moved to the UAE and launched a cryptocurrency application called Fintopio. The project reportedly raised about $500 million before investors accused him of fraud.

Russian Investigators Launch UAE Murder Case

According to the publication, relatives last heard from the Novaks on 2 October. Investigators suspect that they were kidnapped by a group seeking ransom or access to their funds. Fontanka’s sources said the kidnappers killed the couple after failing to obtain the money.

The Russian Investigative Committee announced on Friday that it had opened a murder investigation into the disappearance of a married couple in the UAE, without naming the victims. It said the pair were driven by their driver to a car park near a lake before entering another vehicle.

Seven Detained in Russian Murder Case

Fontanka reported that seven suspects had been detained in Russia in connection with the case. Three of them are accused of murder, while four others are alleged to have helped launder money. Two of the main suspects are from St. Petersburg and one from Kazakhstan. All three are believed to have fled the UAE after the killings.

Sources cited by Fontanka said the victims’ bodies were dismembered and placed in containers near a shopping centre in Hatta, though their remains have not been officially recovered.

Russian national Roman Novak, convicted of crypto fraud, and his wife Anna are reported by several sources to have been killed in the UAE after being missing for over a month.

Digital assets meet tradfi in London at the fmls25

The couple disappeared in early October after travelling to Hatta, a village southeast of Dubai, reportedly to meet potential investors, Russian outlet Fontanka reported.

Novak had been sentenced to six years in prison in Russia in 2020 for large-scale fraud. After being released on parole, he moved to the UAE and launched a cryptocurrency application called Fintopio. The project reportedly raised about $500 million before investors accused him of fraud.

Russian Investigators Launch UAE Murder Case

According to the publication, relatives last heard from the Novaks on 2 October. Investigators suspect that they were kidnapped by a group seeking ransom or access to their funds. Fontanka’s sources said the kidnappers killed the couple after failing to obtain the money.

The Russian Investigative Committee announced on Friday that it had opened a murder investigation into the disappearance of a married couple in the UAE, without naming the victims. It said the pair were driven by their driver to a car park near a lake before entering another vehicle.

Seven Detained in Russian Murder Case

Fontanka reported that seven suspects had been detained in Russia in connection with the case. Three of them are accused of murder, while four others are alleged to have helped launder money. Two of the main suspects are from St. Petersburg and one from Kazakhstan. All three are believed to have fled the UAE after the killings.

Sources cited by Fontanka said the victims’ bodies were dismembered and placed in containers near a shopping centre in Hatta, though their remains have not been officially recovered.

About the Author: Tareq Sikder
Tareq Sikder
  • 1991 Articles
  • 33 Followers
About the Author: Tareq Sikder
A Forex technical analyst and writer who has been engaged in financial writing for 12 years.
  • 1991 Articles
  • 33 Followers

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