USA offers reward of $5 million for information leading to the capture of CryptoQueen scammer

On June 26, 2024, the American authorities suddenly increased the bounty for information on Ruja Ignatova, also known by the nickname “CryptoQueen”. The Bulgarian national was indicted in the United States in October 2017 for her alleged role in the massive OneCoin cryptocurrency scam.

This company founded by Sebastian Greenwood and Ruja Ignatova took advantage of the excitement around cryptocurrencies to sell training courses and a currency called OneCoin. After nearly $4 billion in investment, the company was placed under surveillance by many countries for suspected scams. Many participants never saw their return and the affair turned out to be in reality a Ponzi scheme, where newcomers were paid with money from previous investors.

Sebastian Greenwood was arrested in Thailand in 2018 and was sentenced to 20 years in prison in the United States. That leaves Ruja Ignatova, wanted for seven years for fraud and money laundering. The FBI originally asked for $100,000 for information on the fugitive. The revelations of the Norwegian media E24 may have encouraged the American authorities to up the ante.

Information leaks about Ruja Ignatova's apartment in Dubai

Last May, E24 and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists revealed a data leak from a real estate company in Dubai. Ruja Ignatova's name appears in the documents, including during the sale of a penthouse belonging to her in 2019.

This is enough for the FBI to start looking for the former “CryptoQueen” again. Law enforcement officials believe Ruja likely transformed her face with cosmetic surgeries. She reportedly holds a German and Russian passport.

In 2018, many rumors had her dead, murdered by the Bulgarian mafia. A BBC podcast called “The Missing CryptoQueen” reported in 2022 that the FBI was still investigating her and implied that she was still alive.