The U.S. State Department has announced a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Ruja Ignatova, the founder of the notorious OneCoin scheme, often referred to as the “Cryptoqueen.”
Ignatova, who disappeared in 2017, is wanted for orchestrating a $4 billion Ponzi scheme that duped investors worldwide.
Ignatova’s disappearance came shortly after her indictment was unsealed by U.S. authorities in 2018.
She was last seen boarding a flight to Athens, Greece.
The new reward marks a significant increase from the $250,000 previously offered by the FBI in 2022.
Between 2014 and 2017, Ignatova and her accomplices lured investors with promises of massive returns on their investments in OneCoin.
However, the supposed cryptocurrency was not backed by any blockchain technology, making it one of the largest frauds in history.
While Ignatova remains at large, several of her co-conspirators have been arrested and sentenced.
Co-founder Karl Greenwood received a 20-year prison term, and two lawyers involved in the scheme were each sentenced to at least four years in prison.
Despite various unverified reports of Ignatova’s fate, including speculation about plastic surgery or her possible murder by a crime lord, her whereabouts remain unknown.
She faces numerous charges in multiple countries, including the U.S., Bulgaria, Germany, and India, for crimes such as conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.
