Ruja Ignatova, the Founder of Onecoin, got labeled as one of the most wanted criminals in the European region.
The mastermind behind the infamous crypto scheme Onecoin, Ruja Ignatova, now occupies a spot on the list of most prominent fugitives on European soil. Also called the “Crypto Queen,” she suddenly vanished almost five years after the Ponzi archetype she created, collecting billions of dollars from investors worldwide and defrauding them.
The Europol is now offering a prize registered at 5,000 euros ($5,200) for vital information that could guide the officials to the capture of Ruja Ignatova.
The information describes Ignatova as the principal intellectual and creator of the Onecoin digital asset. According to Europol, she seduced prominent business people worldwide to trust their funds in this worthless asset.
Ruzha or Rouja are also familiar names for her; she is german and is currently 42 years old and has brown eyes. She speaks at least three languages, especially English and German.
Thousands of Millions Disappeared
The agency also explains that the losses surpass the double-digit million while highlighting that the impact caused worldwide would get registered at a massive amount of money.
It is worth highlighting that the promised prize is only for private individuals who bring vital information about their location and not for officials that dedicate themselves to prosecuting criminal behaviors.
Crypto Queen got included in Europe’s most wanted list at the initiative of German law enforcement officials. According to a statement revealed by the police in the western German province of North Rhine-Westphalia, the Bielefeld prosecutor’s office gave a 5,000 euro reward for those who provide vital data about the criminals.
Brief History of a Massive Scam
Ruja Ignatova released Onecoin back in 2014. The project’s digital asset got billed as the “Bitcoin killer” and encouraged through Bulgaria-based offshore entities Onecoin Ltd., registered in Dubai, and Onelife Network Ltd, incorporated in Belize. Both got created by Ignatova and Sebastian Greenwood, who got jailed in the US.
Ruja’s brother, Konstantin Ignatov, another vital protagonist in the foundation of Onecoin, got caught in Los Angeles in 2019 and received accusations of executing crimes related to finances. Since then, he started contributing to investigators working on the situation, testified about Onecoin’s links to organized crime, pleaded guilty, and sought witness protection.
In November 2021, a lawyer working for the investors suggested Bulgaria take action on the situation, claiming that the scam was still carrying out its activities in the nation. In a petition to the Bulgarian ombudsman, Jonathan Levy charged the officials for failing to bring justice to the affected users.
Bitcoin.com also highlighted that the entities Ignatovs and Onecoin still had power over the property, cryptocurrencies, and trust funds that surpassed 12.5 billion euros.
Onecoin kept working in some capacity, penetrating various countries in different ways. In 2020, 8 people allegedly linked to the scam got arrested in Argentina.
By: Jenson Nuñez
