The US State Department announced that under the Program for rewards for information related to transnational organized crime, a reward of up to $5 million is being offered for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of German citizen Ruzha Ignatova, wanted in the United States for her involvement in one of the most the largest global fraud schemes in history. This is stated in a message on the website of the State Department.
Beginning in approximately 2014 in Bulgaria, Ignatova, in her capacity as co-founder of the company OneCoin Ltd, and others defrauded investors around the world out of billions of dollars. Ignatova promoted OneCoin as a digital currency investment through false claims and representations to attract investors.
By 2017, OneCoin is believed to have defrauded victims of more than $4 billion.
On October 12, 2017, Ignatova was indicted in a court in the Southern Judicial District of New York. She is charged with conspiracy to commit online fraud, conspiracy to commit online fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Two weeks after the indictment, Ignatova traveled from Sofia, Bulgaria to Athens, Greece to avoid arrest and has been missing ever since. In February 2018, a superseding indictment was issued charging Ignatova with additional crimes of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and securities fraud. In 2022, she was listed on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. Germany has also criminally charged Ignatova for her role in the transnational fraud scheme.
Today's offer of a reward of up to $5 million has been approved by the Secretary of State under the Transnational Organized Crime Information Rewards Program. The State Department program supports law enforcement efforts to combat transnational crime worldwide. She also supports efforts to bring fugitives to justice.
If you have information about Ruja Ignatova, please contact the FBI via Telegram: @RujaReward, Signal: @RujaReward.01 or online at tips.fbi.gov. If you are outside the United States, you can also visit the nearest US embassy or consulate. If you are in the United States, you can also contact your local FBI office, the release said.
All information about the identity of the person providing the information is kept strictly confidential. American government officials and workers are not entitled to awards, the text added.