The Department of Justice has announced a reward offer under the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program. They are offering up to $5 million for information that leads to the arrest and/or conviction of German national Ruja Ignatova. She is wanted in the United States for her involvement in one of history’s largest global fraud schemes – ONECOIN.
U.S. DOJ Offers $5 Million Reward For Location & Capture of Ruja Ignatova The CryptoQueen
U.S. DOJ
Starting around 2014 in Bulgaria, along with others, Ignatova, the co-founder of OneCoin Ltd, cheated investors worldwide out of billions of dollars. Ignatova used false statements and misrepresentations to promote OneCoin as a digital currency investment to attract investors. It is estimated that by 2017, OneCoin had defrauded victims of more than $4 billion.
On October 12, 2017, Ignatova was charged in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Two weeks later, she traveled from Sofia, Bulgaria, to Athens, Greece, in an attempt to evade arrest and has been a fugitive since. In February 2018, a superseding indictment was issued, adding conspiracy charges to commit securities fraud and securities fraud. As of 2022, she was added to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List. Additionally, Germany has criminally charged Ignatova for her involvement in the transnational fraud scheme.
The Secretary authorizes today’s reward offer of up to $5 million under the Department of State’s Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program. This program supports law enforcement efforts to disrupt transnational crime globally and bring fugitives to justice. If you have any information, please get in touch with the FBI via Telegram at @RujaReward, Signal at @RujaReward.01, or online at tips.fbi.gov. If you are outside the United States, you may also visit the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. If you are in the United States, you can also contact the local FBI office.
ALL IDENTITIES ARE KEPT STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL. Government officials and employees are not eligible for rewards.
