The FBI is currently searching for Ruja Ignatova, the alleged suspect behind the OneCoin scam. The Bulgarian native, also known as the "Cryptoqueen," is now added to the agency's most-wanted list.
If you ever happen to see this fraudster in public, you will be rewarded with a $100,000 bounty for tipping her whereabouts to the FBI.
FBI is Hunting Down 'Cryptoqueen'
(Photo : regularguy.eth from Unsplash)
The FBI is now searching for the Bulgarian crypto queen who is the mastermind behind the OneCoin scheme,
According to a story by CNET, Ignatova allegedly led the OneCoin scam. At the time, the Bulgarian amassed over $4 billion by tricking the investors into buying her own coin.
Four years ago, the FBI took the lead in looking for the Bulgarian-born scammer following the complaints regarding her money laundering activities.
At the time, the law enforcement agency charged her with a single count of wire fraud, securities fraud, and conspiracy to do unlawful operations.
For those unfamiliar with the OneCoin scandal, Ignatova used to own a crypto firm which she calls OneCoin Ltd. According to the report, the company earned a huge revenue worth billions from 2014 to 2016.
However, here's the worst part about this case. Ignatova deceived the investors into knowing that they would earn instantly. For her next move, she decided to defraud them by scooping over $4 billion of money.
"In order to execute the scheme, Ignatova allegedly made false statements and representations to individuals in order to solicit investments in OneCoin," the FBI said in a release.
To hasten the hunt for the fugitive, the FBI has officially added Ignatova to the top 10 list of the most wanted criminals in the world.
For those who can help the FBI to point out her exact location, a $100,000 reward is waiting for you. According to the authorities, the suspect started to hide from the public in 2017.
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To make it harder for the authorities to find her, Ignatova was believed to undergo cosmetic surgery. Finding her won't be easy anymore since she has already changed her face.
At the time, the FBI claimed that she had been traveling with her bodyguards.
According to Manhattan's top federal prosecutor Damian Williams, what Ignatova did could be "one of the largest Ponzi schemes" in history.
In 2017, the authorities said that the "Cryptoqueen" bugged the apartment of her American boyfriend because she found out that the latte was helping the FBI with the OneCoin case.
After booking a flight to Greece from her motherland, the officials have no longer heard a word from her. She has not been seen since then.
Aside from the "Cryptoqueen," the authorities sanctioned a former corporate lawyer. According to them, Mark Scott was guilty of conspiracy to do money laundering in the controversial OneCoin incident.
He was subjected to a trial that would last for three weeks in a federal court in Manhattan.
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Joseph Henry
