US authorities have added a German-Bulgarian woman to their ‘Most Wanted’ list. Ruja Ignatova is wanted for allegedly defrauding investors of a total of four billion dollars (3.8 billion euros) by selling them the fake cryptocurrency OneCoin.
Ignatova, also known as the ‘Cryptoqueen’, was indicted in 2019 on eight charges, including transaction fraud and securities fraud for running Bulgaria-based OneCoin Ltd as a pyramid scheme. According to prosecutors, the company offered commissions to members who could encourage others to buy the worthless cryptocurrency.
“Her plan was perfectly timed,” said Damian Williams, chief prosecutor in Manhattan. “She took advantage of the wild speculation in the early days of cryptocurrency. According to Williams, OneCoin is “one of the largest pyramid schemes ever”.
Ignatova disappeared from the radar in late 2017 after she installed bugging devices in her American boyfriend’s apartment and discovered that he was cooperating in an FBI investigation into OneCoin. She boarded a flight from Bulgaria to Greece and has been missing since.
The FBI offers a $100,000 reward for information leading to Ignatova’s arrest. The woman was placed on the FBI’s most wanted list, which the agency hopes the public can help with their investigation.
“She left with a huge amount of cash,” said Michael Driscoll, FBI vice director in New York. “Money can buy you a lot of friends, and I can imagine her taking advantage of that.”
Belgians scammed with non-existent crypto currency: loss is more than 1.6 million euros
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