OneCoin creator, Ruja Ignatova, declared wanted in Europe

Europol has placed the laminitis of OneCoin cryptocurrency, Ruja Ignatova, connected its database of astir wanted criminals.

The European instrumentality enforcement bureau took this measurement successful its concerted efforts to seizure the “crypto queen” who is liable for a multi-billion dollar fraud.

The bureau stated that Ignatova

Is suspected of having prompted investors worldwide to put successful this worthless “currency.”

It offered a reward of €5,000 for immoderate accusation that’ll pb to the apprehension of the alleged transgression mastermind.

OneCoin operated arsenic a Ponzi scheme

Ignatova disappeared from the radar successful 2017 aft taking a formation from Sofia to Athens, wherever she was past seen with 2 Russian men. She created OneCoin successful 2014, claiming it’ll beryllium the token that replaces Bitcoin. 

“We are the Bitcoin killer. We’re faster, safer and cheaper,” she promised.

But it turned retired that each those promises were mendacious due to the fact that the coin didn’t adjacent marque it to the blockchain. Instead, she spent the wealth connected herself, and OneCoin turned retired to beryllium a Ponzi. 

Prosecutors told a US tribunal that the strategy operated arsenic a multilevel marketplace web rewarding members for recruiting others.

RED NOTICE: Ruja Ignatova, dubbed ‘the Cryptoqueen’, is #wanted by Germany @bka for fraud and wealth laundering. A reward is offered for accusation starring to the apprehension of the co-founder of the alleged cryptocurrency ‘OneCoin’ successful hiding since 2017. https://t.co/vz1hwxok9p pic.twitter.com/jvGb8pg6gz

— INTERPOL (@INTERPOL_HQ) May 11, 2022

There are nary nonstop figures of however overmuch was really mislaid to the strategy but immoderate reports spot the fig astatine astir €88 million, with immoderate saying it could beryllium overmuch higher. 

However, the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), 1 of those who person issued a hunt warrant for her arrest, stated that “the harm caused worldwide is apt to magnitude to respective cardinal US dollars.” Filings successful the Southern District of New York suggest this harm could beryllium implicit $4 billion.

Ruja Ignatova’s member arrested

Her brother, Konstantin Ignatov, has been arrested. Ignatov became the nationalist look of the task aft his sister disappeared. He was arrested successful Los Angeles successful 2019 connected charges of ligament fraud and cryptocurrency scams.

However, he’s presently helping the FBI successful their efforts to apprehension his sister aft pleading blameworthy to the charges. According to Ignatov, the crypto queen has already withdrawn astir €500 cardinal from the wealth raised from investors.

The BKA stated that Dr. Ruja Ignatova, who has a doctorate grade successful law, is “likely the driving unit and intelligence inventor of the expected cryptocurrency ‘OneCoin’” and led the promotion of the worthless coin.

The hunt warrant highlighted that she whitethorn person altered her quality fixed the sizeable fiscal resources successful her possession.