Onecoin’s Co-Founder Ruja Ignatova Has Been Added to the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives List

2 years ago

One of the Onecoin co-founders, Ruja Ignatova, different known arsenic the ‘Cryptoqueen,’ has been added to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Ten Most Wanted Fugitives database connected Thursday. In summation to adding the Cryptoqueen to the astir wanted list, the FBI is offering a reward of up to $100K for tips that pb to the 42-year-old woman’s arrest.

Onecoin’s Cryptoqueen Is Now connected the FBI’s Top 10 Most Wanted List

Ruja Ignatova is good known for her engagement with the Onecoin Ponzi scheme, and it is estimated that the scam allegedly defrauded radical retired of $4 billion. The pyramid strategy promoted Onecoin arsenic a blockchain task with a autochthonal cryptocurrency but determination was nary blockchain and nary existent crypto plus down the scam.

However, Onecoin’s management, recruits, and Ignatova promoted the task arsenic if it was a “bitcoin killer.” From precocious 2014 to March 2016, Ignatova pitched Onecoin income and recruited members connected a regular basis. During the extremity of the scheme’s functional state, the institution issued a announcement that said operations would intermission for 2 weeks. By January 2017, the Onecoin speech xcoinx unopen down indefinitely and Ignatova disappeared.

Last November, findings that stemmed from a proceedings against Martin Breidenbach, Ignatova’s German attorney, had shown that the Cryptoqueen allegedly lived a lavish lifestyle and purchased an $18.2 cardinal London penthouse earlier she fled. In mid-May 2022, the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation, Europol, added Ignatova to Europe’s Most Wanted Fugitives list.

FBI Special Agent: ‘We Want to Bring Her to Justice’

The pursuing month, connected June 30, 2022, the FBI added the Cryptoqueen to the U.S.-based Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. The database introduced successful March 1950 was created to beforehand the seizure of America’s transgression masterminds. Over the past 72 years, Ignatova joins the database arsenic the 11th pistillate to beryllium selected by the FBI.

“Onecoin claimed to person a backstage blockchain,” FBI peculiar cause Ronald Shimko explained successful a connection connected Thursday. “This is successful opposition to different virtual currencies, which person a decentralized and nationalist blockchain. In this case, investors were conscionable asked to spot Onecoin.” Shimko added that helium hopes Ignatova’s sanction connected the database volition bring much attraction to the lawsuit successful bid to bolster the Cryptoqueen’s arrest. In the FBI press statement, Shimko concluded:

There are truthful galore victims each implicit the satellite who were financially devastated by this. We privation to bring her to justice.

Investigators accidental earlier the Cryptoqueen fled, she had achromatic hairsbreadth and brownish eyes, but the FBI believes “she could person altered her carnal appearance.” The home quality and information work says Ignatova speaks fluent Bulgarian, German, and English.

“She whitethorn beryllium traveling connected a fraudulent passport and has known connections to Bulgaria, Germany, Russia, Greece, and the United Arab Emirates,” the FBI’s property merchandise further details. The FBI is asking tipsters to scope retired to immoderate section FBI bureau oregon the nearest American Embassy to supply accusation astir the Cryptoqueen’s whereabouts.

What bash you deliberation astir the FBI adding Ruja Ignatova to the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives database list? Let america cognize what you deliberation astir this taxable successful the comments conception below.

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