The Federal Bureau of Investigation has added Ruja Ignatova, also known as the "Cryptoqueen," to its list of the 10 Most Wanted Fugitive Criminals, Friday.
Ignatova is well-known for her involvement in the Onecoin Ponzi scheme, which reportedly robbed people out of an estimated $4 billion.
In addition to placing Cryptoqueen on its most-wanted list, the FBI is offering a bounty of up to $100,000 for information leading to her capture.
The pyramid scheme presented Onecoin as a blockchain project with a native cryptocurrency, despite the fact that there was neither a blockchain nor a true crypto asset behind the scheme.
However, the management, recruits, and Ignatova of Onecoin touted the initiative as a "bitcoin killer."
During the scheme's final two weeks of existence, the corporation sent a notification that operations will be suspended for two weeks.
By January 2017, the Onecoin exchange Xcoinx had permanently shut down, and Ignatova had vanished.
The Cryptoqueen allegedly maintained a lavish lifestyle and purchased a $18.2 million London apartment before fleeing the country, according to trial results against Ignatova's German attorney, Martin Breidenbach, which were released in November of 2017.
Midway through May this year, Europol, the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation, placed Ignatova to its list of Europe's Most Wanted Fugitive.
The next month, on 30 June 2022, the FBI added Cryptoqueen to its list of the United States' 10 Most Wanted Fugitives.
The March 1950 list was established to facilitate the capture of America's criminal masterminds. Ignatova is the eleventh woman to be picked by the FBI in the past 72 years.
FBI special agent Ronald Shimko said in a statement on Thursday, "Onecoin purported to have a private blockchain, which is in contrast to other virtual currencies, which have a public and decentralized blockchain."
In this instance, investors were just asked to "have faith in Onecoin." Shimko added that he expects the inclusion of Ignatova's name on the list will generate greater interest in the case, ultimately facilitating the Cryptoqueen's arrest.
In the FBI's news release, Shimko drew the following conclusion:
"This has wrecked the finances of a large number of victims around the globe. We wish to see her brought to justice."
Before fleeing, Cryptoqueen had black hair and brown eyes, according to investigators, but the FBI suspects "she may have altered her physical appearance."
According to the domestic intelligence and security service, Ignatova speaks German, English, and Bulgarian fluently.
