TL;DR
- US offers $5 million reward for information on Ruja Ignatova.
- Ignatova, known as the “Cryptoqueen”, is wanted for frauds related to OneCoin.
- He disappeared in 2017 and is suspected of defrauding investors of more than $4 billion.
The US Department of State has announced a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Ruja Ignatova, also known as the “Cryptoqueen”.
Ignatova, 44, is wanted for several crimes, including wire fraud and securities fraud.
Since 2017, he has been evading authorities after organizing one of the largest Ponzi schemes in recent history, OneCoin, which deceived millions of investors by promising them high profits on a supposed alternative cryptocurrency to Bitcoin.
OneCoin was presented as a revolutionary cryptocurrency, but unlike legitimate cryptocurrencies, it did not use a public digital ledger, which made it easy for fraud to perpetuate.
Ignatova, an Oxford graduate, managed to attract a crowd of unsuspecting investors through false claims and promises of high returns.
Three years after OneCoin launched in 2014, the “Cryptoqueen” escaped from Sofia to Athens in 2017, just as US and German agencies were about to dismantle their operation.
On October 12, 2017, Ignatova was charged by the Southern District Court of New York with committing wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
She has been on the run ever since, and in February 2018 she was charged with additional charges of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and securities fraud.
According to the FBI, Ignatova defrauded OneCoin participants of more than $4 billion.
Some of his accomplices have been convicted, such as co-founder Karl Greenwood, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence, and two lawyers linked to OneCoin, who received four-year sentences.
Despite several reports and theories about her whereabouts, including a recent BBC investigation suggesting she may have been murdered by a dangerous drug dealer she hired for protection, Ignatova’s location remains a mystery.
There has also been speculation that she may have undergone a sex change to evade capture or that she may be living in Dubai.
Theories about the whereabouts of the “Cryptoqueen”
As authorities continue the search, various theories have emerged about where Ruja Ignatova could be.
A BBC investigation raised the possibility that Ignatova may have been murdered by a drug dealer she had hired for her protection.
This theory is based on the dangerousness and influence of the criminal in the underworld, which could have led to a fatal betrayal for the “Cryptoqueen.”
Another theory suggests that Ignatova could have undergone sex reassignment surgery to change her appearance and avoid being recognized.
This speculation is based on reports from TradingPedia in 2022, which mention the possibility that he took drastic measures to stay under the radar.
There are also those who believe that Ignatova could be living in Dubai, a place known to be a refuge for many people seeking to evade justice.
The city offers a combination of luxury and discretion, making it an ideal hideaway for someone in Ignatova’s situation.
Meanwhile, authorities continue to urge the public to provide any information that could lead to his capture.
With the $5 million reward, it is hoped that someone with knowledge of his whereabouts can finally help put an end to one of the biggest financial scams of the digital age.
