US Adds ‘Cryptoqueen’ to Most-Wanted List Over Alleged $4 Billion Fraud

Damian Williams, the top federal prosecutor in Manhattan, speaks at a press conference to announce the addition of "Cryptoqueen" Ruja Ignatova to the FBI’s most-wanted fugitives list in New York on June 30, 2022. Luc Cohen/Reuters

NEW YORK—A German citizen accused of defrauding investors out of $4 billion by selling a fake cryptocurrency called OneCoin has been added to the FBI’s list of its ten most-wanted fugitives, U.S. officials said on Thursday.

Ruja Ignatova, also known as “Cryptoqueen,” was charged in 2019 with eight counts including wire fraud and securities fraud for running the Bulgaria-based OneCoin Ltd. as a pyramid scheme. Prosecutors say the company offered commissions for members to entice others to buy a worthless cryptocurrency.