Ruja Ignatova, known as the “Crypto Queen,” is wanted for cryptocurrency investment fraud with the highest bounty on a female criminal
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The FBI has placed a $5 million bounty on a woman who has become one of the agency’s most wanted fugitives. Ruja Ignatova, also known as the “Crypto Queen.” She is a German national and a notorious figure in a multi-level cryptocurrency scam called OneCoin.
Born in 1980, 44-year-old Ruja Ignatova founded OneCoin, which has been labeled as one of the largest scams in history. She has been missing since boarding a flight to Athens, Greece, in October 2017.
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Between 2014 and 2016, Ignatova allegedly defrauded over 3.5 million investors, stealing around $4 billion. With the money earned from the scam, Ignatova lived a lavish lifestyle, residing in a penthouse in London and owning a $7 million yacht.
Ignatova vanished without a trace after an arrest warrant was issued for her crimes. In contrast, her co-founder, Karl Sebastian Greenwood, was arrested in Thailand in 2018 and was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2023 for financial fraud and money laundering.
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Despite extensive searches, the FBI has been unable to locate Ignatova, prompting them to offer this record-setting bounty. Matthew Miller, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, stated that a $5 million reward would be given to anyone who provided information leading to Ignatova’s capture. Ignatova may have altered her appearance through cosmetic surgery and is believed to have a German passport.
In 2022, the FBI initially added Ruja Ignatova to its most wanted list, setting the bounty at $100,000. Since then, the reward has skyrocketed, now standing at fifty times the original amount.
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According to the State Department, Ignatova likely travels with armed associates, including security personnel, and could be hiding in Russia, Greece, the United Arab Emirates, or Eastern Europe.
With the highest bounty placed on a female fugitive by the FBI, many people are closely following the search for Ignatova. The BBC has even conducted an in-depth investigation suggesting that she may have been murdered.
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Meanwhile, cryptocurrency fraud remains a major issue. Do Kwon, a key figure in the Terra-Luna incident that caused approximately 50 trillion KRW in damages, has been the subject of discussions regarding his extradition between the U.S. and South Korea.
Currently detained in Montenegro, Do Kwon’s legal team has been fighting for his extradition to South Korea instead of the U.S., where he would face severe penalties for economic crimes. On the 1st, a Montenegrin court officially notified the decision to deport Do Kwon to South Korea, and the process is expected to begin soon.
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