OneCoin founder Ruja Ignatova added to FBI's Most Wanted Fugitives list

OneCoin founder Ruja Ignatova, also known as the Cryptoqueen, was added to the list of FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives for her role in allegedly defrauding investors of more than $4 billion.

This action was taken by the FBI in New York, along with the United States Attorney's Office in the Southern District of New York and the IRS Criminal Investigation Newark Field Office. The Federal Bureau of Investigation offered a reward of $100,000 for information that would lead to her capture.

A warrant for Ignatova's arrest was issued by the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in October 2017, indicted by a federal grand jury. Ignatova was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, one count of securities fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud in a superseding indictment handed down in February of 2018.

According to investigators, Ignatova is suspected of being involved in a fraudulent operation of significant scope. It is believed that Ignatova and others began defrauding investors around 2014. The amount of money involved is estimated to be in the billions of dollars.

She was the brain behind the project that would later become known as OneCoin Ltd., located in Bulgaria, and promoted a product that claimed to be a criptocurrency. Ignatova has made false statements about OneCoin investment opportunities to people to put the plan into motion, in order to put the plan into motion.

Ignatova urged victims to move their investment amounts to OneCoin accounts to acquire OneCoin packages, which resulted in victims sending wire transfers reflecting their investments. She is accused of engaging in this fraudulent activity. It is believed that victims of OneCoin fraud have lost more than $4 billion due to the conspiracy. Ignatova was OneCoin's top leader until October 2017 when she stepped down.

In March 2019, Ignatova was arrested in the USA for allegedly running a pyramid scheme. In May of the same year, the OneCoin founder was sued by a former investor over an alleged multi-billion dollar fraud.

In May 2022, the OneCoin founder was declared by the International Criminal Police Organization Interpol in Europe as wanted for fraud and money laundering.