A woman who has been dubbed the “Cryptoqueen” has made her place on the FBI’s 10 most wanted list. She is said to be from Bulgaria and has been on the run since 2017.
Ruja Ignatova is wanted for her role in running a cryptocurrency scam known as OneCoin which was able to scam people around the world out of more than $4bn (£3.2bn).
OneCoin was released in 2014 as a self-described cryptocurrency that offered commission if buyers sold it on to more people. It was later found to be a Ponzi scheme, as the coin held no real value and was not secured on the Blockchain as other coins.
In 2017, a search warrant was issued for Ignatova, and she seemed to have vanished. In 2019, she was charged with eight counts including wire fraud and securities fraud.
“She timed her scheme perfectly, capitalizing on the frenzied speculation of the early days of cryptocurrency,” said Manhattan’s top federal prosecutor, Damian Williams.
A bureau notice published on Thursday offered a $100,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest of Ms Ignatova. She is now the only woman to be on the FBI’s ten most wanted list.
