Ruja Ignatova, the “crypto queen” who took $4 billion from investors in the OneCoin scam and disappeared, entered the top 10 on the FBI’s most wanted list. The FBI announced a $100,000 reward for Ignatova’s capture.
Ruja Ignatova, also known as the “crypto queen”, has entered the top 10 on the FBI’s most wanted list. Ruja Ignatova is accused of defrauding thousands of people of 4 billion over a cryptocurrency known as OneCoin.
Ignatova was found guilty of fraud in cases filed in the US in 2019 for running Bulgaria-based OneCoin Ltd. as a Ponzi scheme.
According to the case file, prosecutors said it was found that investors were incentivized to sell a worthless cryptocurrency to others by giving them a commission on their sales.
Manhattan Federal Attorney General Damian William said in a statement that OneCoin was the biggest fraud in history.
“She timed her scheme perfectly, capitalizing on the wild speculation of the early days of cryptocurrency,” Williams said of Ignatova.
“YOU CAN BUY FRIENDS WITH MONEY”
The FBI has announced a $100,000 reward for information leading to Ignatova’s capture. While US authorities warned that Ruja Ignatova may have changed her appearance since her disappearance in 2017, FBI New York Assistant Director Michael Driscoll told Reuters, “She left with a lot of money. You can buy a lot of friends with money. I am sure he took advantage of this.”
Ruja Ignatova is on the FBI’s most wanted list
PUT ON SALE IN 2014
Ignatova first launched OneCoin in 2014. Taking advantage of the fact that many investors were new to the cryptocurrency market at the time, she provided false information about the cryptocurrency’s features.
Between 2014 and 2016, she raised $4 billion from investors. A year later, she disappeared with these funds.
Ignatova was last seen boarding a plane from Bulgaria to Greece in 2017 and has not been seen since.
