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- BBC News World
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Ruja Ignatova, also known as the “Cryptoqueen” (queen of crypto), has been included in the list of the ten most wanted by the FBI.
The Bulgarian woman is wanted by the US government for her alleged role in the execution of a cryptocurrency scam known as OneCoin.
Federal investigators accuse the fugitive of using the scheme to defraud her victims of $4 billion.
She has been missing since 2017, when US officials signed an arrest warrant for her.
Ignatova is wanted for her role in managing OneCoin, a cryptocurrency that, starting in 2014, offered buyers a commission if they sold the coin to more people.
But FBI agents say that OneCoin had no value and was never protected by the blockchain technology used by other cryptocurrencies.
According to indictments by federal prosecutors, it was essentially a Ponzi scheme disguised as cryptocurrency.
“She timed her scheme to perfection, capitalizing on the frenzied speculation of the early days of cryptocurrencies,” said Damian Williams, the top federal prosecutor in Manhattan.
The FBI adds fugitives to its most wanted list when it believes the general public can help locate them.
An FBI notice released Thursday offers a $100,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest of Ignatova, who was indicted in 2019 on eight counts including wire fraud and securities fraud.
She is the only woman on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list.
image source, FBI
The FBI is offering $100,000 for information on the fugitive.
Jamie Bartlett, whose BBC podcast investigation brought global attention to Ignatova’s story and the financial impact OneCoin had on its alleged victims, said Thursday’s FBI announcement increased the chances of her being caught.
“This is probably the biggest development in the case since Ruja disappeared in October 2017,” he said.
Bartlett, who has been investigating the case for years, said one reason Ruja Ignatova has been so difficult to locate is that she disappeared with at least $500 million, which is helping her hide from the law.
“We also believe she has high-quality fake IDs and has changed her appearance,” Jamie Bartlett added, raising the possibility that she may not even be alive anymore.
Ignatova was last seen boarding a flight from Bulgaria to Greece in 2017 and has been missing ever since.
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