• Source:JND
Add as a preferred

The US is offering a reward of up to USD 5 million for tips that help catch Ruja Ignatova, the founder of OneCoin. Know as "crypto queen", Ignatova faces charges in the US and Germany related to her alleged role in a massive fraud scheme that caused over $4 billion in losses for victims, as stated by US Ambassador Kenneth Merten. Ambassador Merten mentioned that later on Wednesday, the United States will issue a statement explaining how individuals can anonymously provide information to aid in this ongoing investigation.

"Ignatova is believed to travel with armed guards and/or associates. Ignatova may have had plastic surgery or otherwise altered her appearance," states her FBI wanted poster.

Who Is Ruja Ignatova And Why Is She Wanted By The FBI?

Ruja Ignatova, an Oxford University alumna born in Bulgaria and raised in Germany, built a successful career in finance before founding the cryptocurrency OneCoin in 2014. 

Ruja initially launched a cryptocurrency called 'BigCoin' with her associate Sebastian Karl Greenwood. Subsequently, they introduced another fraudulent cryptocurrency named 'OneCoin' in Sofia in 2014, raising billions of dollars. It was later uncovered that she defrauded investors globally of approximately $4 billion from 2014 to 2017.

She avoided arrest by fleeing on a flight from Sofia to Athens just two weeks after being indicted in October 2017, and her current whereabouts are unknown. It is suspected that she bugged her American boyfriend's apartment, whom she suspected of cooperating with the FBI.

Later in 2022, she was added to the FBI's list of the 10 most wanted fugitives, facing charges of forgery and money laundering. There are also reports suggesting that she underwent plastic surgery and frequently changes her appearance.

Meanwhile, her partner Greenwood was arrested in 2018 in Thailand and extradited to the US. He received a 20-year prison sentence and was ordered to repay $300 million to investors.

The FBI has indicated that Ignatova might have changed her appearance through plastic surgery or could be using a German passport while travelling in the Middle East or Eastern Europe.