FBI Adds Onecoin Co-Founder to Its Top-Ten Most Wanted List

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) published a new episode on its “Inside the FBI” podcast series last week termed “Ten Most Wanted Fugitive Ruja Ignatova.” Popularly called the “Crypto Queen,” Ignatova was a co-founder and key player of the Onecoin scam, one of the biggest scams in cryptocurrency history.

The FBI podcast discusses news, cases, and wanted individuals from around the world. The podcast host, Monica Grover from the FBI’s Office of Public Affairs, noted:

“On this episode of Inside the FBI, we’ll learn how Ignatova, through a company once marketed as the ‘Bitcoin killer,’ didn’t change the world … but instead robbed investors of billions of dollars.”

Onecoin Scam Co-Founder on the Europol Most Wanted List

Ignatova, currently in hiding, made it to the Bureau’s ten most wanted fugitives list in June 2022. The FBI is offering a reward of $100,000 to anyone with useful information leading to her arrest. The wanted crypto scammer is also on the list of Europe’s most wanted, with Europol offering a €5,000 ($5,000) reward for any information leading up to Ignatova’s arrest.

Grover further noted in the seven-minute podcast that “on October 12, 2017, Ignatova was charged in connection with the Onecoin fraud scheme, and a federal warrant was issued for her arrest,” adding:

“Investigators believe she may have been tipped off that she was under investigation. She traveled from Sofia, Bulgaria, to Athens, Greece, on October 25, 2017, and has not been seen since.”

The police in Greece reported that it received intelligence on the whereabouts of the wanted Onecoin co-founder in July.

The podcast host further mentioned that “she’s currently 42 years old and has brown eyes and dark brown to black hair. However, investigators believe she could have changed her physical appearance.” Grover further detailed: “Ignatova speaks English, German, and Bulgarian. She may be traveling on a fraudulent passport and has known connections to Bulgaria, Germany, Russia, Greece, and the United Arab Emirates. She’s known to have lived a lavish lifestyle.”

Grover ended the podcast by encouraging anyone with useful information on Ignatova’s whereabouts to talk to their local FBI office or the nearest American embassy or consulate.