The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has added "cryptoqueen" Ruja Ignatova to its 10 most wanted list over an alleged $4 billion OneCoin fraud, becoming only the 11th woman to join the list in its 72-year-long history.
The suspect joins the list that is littered with sought-after individuals that range from serial killers to accused drug cartel leaders. Ignatova, whose nickname is cryptoqueen, has been on the run since 2017.
Massive Cryptocurrency Fraud
Ignatova's nickname comes from the fact that she and her partner founded OneCoin, a Bulgarian-based company that marketed purported cryptocurrency that authorities said was a scam. The FBI noted that millions of investors worldwide were tricked into giving the cryptoqueen money since she started the company in 2014.
Federal authorities are now offering up to a $100,000 reward for any information that could lead to her arrest. They argued that Ignatova should be considered dangerous because there is a possibility that she is traveling with armed guards.
Special Agent Ronald Shimko, who is probing the case out of the FBI's New York field office, said that there were so many victims all over the world who were financially crushed by Ignatova's actions and deceit, as per the New York Post.
Authorities believe that Ignatova might have been tipped off that she was under federal and international probe shortly before she was first charged in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in October 2017. The cryptoqueen traveled from Bulgaria to Athens, Greece on Oct. 25, 2017, and has not been seen since.
The suspect is known to speak several languages, including Bulgarian, English, and German, and is thought to be using a fake passport. Ignatova has brown eyes and dark hair, though investigators warn that she could have changed her appearance to avoid detection.
According to Fox Business, FBI officials claim that Ignatova made numerous false statements and representations about her company to lure investors in, who were then encouraged to sell additional packages through a multi-level marketing strategy.
The "Cryptoqueen"
Authority said that the suspect used many of the buzzwords associated with the cryptocurrency community to generate excitement about OneCoin despite it not being traditionally mined like bitcoin or other big-name cryptocurrencies. The value of OneCoin was also determined by the company itself instead of the marketplace.
Shimko claims that Ignatova specifically targeted investors who did not fully understand how cryptocurrencies work and that she defrauded billions from her victims. On Feb. 6, 2018, a superseding indictment was issued, charging Ignatova with one count each of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to commit securities fraud, and securities fraud.
The FBI's assistant director in charge of the New York office, Mike Driscoll, said that he was confident that the agency would find the suspect eventually and make her pay for her crimes. Additionally, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams, called Ignatova "an international fugitive who allegedly masterminded a worldwide fraud, CNBC reported.
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