- May saw the addition of Ignatova to the most-wanted list by Europol as well.
- A federal warrant was issued for Ignatova’s arrest on October 12, 2017.
The FBI has added “Cryptoqueen” Ruja Ignatova to its Ten Most Wanted Fugitive list. In exchange for information leading to the arrest of Ignatova, the agency is offering a reward of $100,000. A major Ponzi scam using OneCoin has been implicated in Ignatova’s disappearance since 2017. May saw the addition of Ignatova to the most-wanted list by Europol as well.
Scammed Investors of Over $4 Billion
Federal authorities said the Justice Department accused Ignatova and others of scamming investors worldwide by promoting OneCoin. A federal warrant was issued for Ignatova’s arrest on October 12, 2017, after she was charged in a federal court in New York.
In a tweet, U.S. Attorney SDNY said:
“Ruja Ignatova, a.k.a. ‘Cryptoqueen’, has been added to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list for allegedly defrauding investors of more than $4 billion through the OneCoin cryptocurrency company.”
OneCoin’s proponents stated it was a mineable cryptocurrency with a maximum supply of 120 billion coins when it was first introduced in 2014. Investors were enticed to participate in the hoax by the promise that it would be the next Bitcoin. OneCoin’s blockchain, on the other hand, did not exist.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:
“They promised big returns and minimal risk, but, as alleged, this business was a pyramid scheme based on smoke and mirrors more than zeroes and ones. Investors were victimized while the defendants got rich.”
Victims were instructed to wire money to OneCoin, which Ignatova is accused of defrauding investors of their money by making fraudulent claims and assurances. According to the authorities, more than $4 billion is allegedly stolen from OneCoin’s victims.
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