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{"actor":"system:backfill","investigation_id":"ab9b5153-f948-4988-ba29-b797a20f98bc","kind":"publish","page_slug":"ruja-ignatova","published_at":"2026-05-30T18:25:48.727Z","sequence_num":1,"snapshot":{"content_type":"investigation","entity_name":"Ruja Ignatova","sections":[{"content":"","heading":"","severity":"medium","sources":[{"credibility":3,"name":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruja_Ignatova","type":"other","url":""},{"credibility":3,"name":"https://moneyweek.com/economy/people/605142/ruja-ignatova-profile-crooked-cryptoqueen","type":"other","url":""}]},{"content":"","heading":"","severity":"medium","sources":[{"credibility":3,"name":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OneCoin","type":"other","url":""},{"credibility":3,"name":"https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-compensation-process-onecoin-fraud-victims-funds-recovered","type":"other","url":""},{"credibility":3,"name":"https://vinciworks.com/blog/how-ruja-ignatova-built-a-4b-fraud-and-why-it-matters-for-crypto-and-aml","type":"other","url":""}]},{"content":"","heading":"","severity":"medium","sources":[{"credibility":3,"name":"https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/1141981","type":"other","url":""},{"credibility":3,"name":"https://bg.usembassy.gov/up-to-5-million-reward-for-information-leading-to-arrest-and-or-conviction-of-fraudster-ruja-ignatova/","type":"other","url":""},{"credibility":3,"name":"https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/ruja-ignatova-added-to-fbis-ten-most-wanted-fugitives-list","type":"other","url":""}]},{"content":"","heading":"","severity":"medium","sources":[{"credibility":3,"name":"https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/newyork/news/up-to-5-million-reward-offer-for-information-leading-to-arrest-and-or-conviction-of-ten-most-wanted-fugitive-cryptoqueen-ruja-ignatova","type":"other","url":""},{"credibility":3,"name":"https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/ruja-ignatova-added-to-fbis-ten-most-wanted-fugitives-list","type":"other","url":""},{"credibility":3,"name":"https://www.state.gov/reward-for-information-german-national-ruja-ignatova","type":"other","url":""},{"credibility":3,"name":"https://crypto.news/where-is-onecoins-ruja-ignatova-after-8-years-in-silence/","type":"other","url":""},{"credibility":3,"name":"https://www.idnfinancials.com/news/58978/guernsey-court-issue-ultimatum-to-seize-assets-fugitive-crypto-queen","type":"other","url":""}]},{"content":"","heading":"","severity":"medium","sources":[{"credibility":3,"name":"https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2023/09/13/onecoin-co-founder-karl-greenwood-sentenced-to-20-years-in-prison","type":"other","url":""},{"credibility":3,"name":"https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/co-founder-multibillion-dollar-cryptocurrency-scheme-onecoin-sentenced-20-years-prison","type":"other","url":""},{"credibility":3,"name":"https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/former-law-firm-partner-sentenced-10-years-prison-laundering-400-million-onecoin-fraud","type":"other","url":""},{"credibility":3,"name":"https://therecord.media/lawyer-gets-10-year-sentence-for-laundering-onecoin-scam-funds","type":"other","url":""},{"credibility":3,"name":"https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2019/11/14/onecoin-founders-brother-faces-90-year-jail-term-after-plea-deal","type":"other","url":""}]},{"content":"","heading":"","severity":"medium","sources":[{"credibility":3,"name":"https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-compensation-process-onecoin-fraud-victims-funds-recovered","type":"other","url":""},{"credibility":3,"name":"https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2026/04/14/u-s-doj-opens-up-claim-process-for-victims-of-onecoin-s-usd4-billion-fraud-case","type":"other","url":""},{"credibility":3,"name":"https://decrypt.co/364283/doj-opens-40m-compensation-process-for-onecoin-crypto-fraud-victims","type":"other","url":""}]},{"content":"","heading":"","severity":"medium","sources":[{"credibility":3,"name":"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-missing-cryptoqueen/id1480370173","type":"other","url":""},{"credibility":3,"name":"https://www.factualamerica.com/earbuds-to-eyeballs/the-missing-cryptoqueen-blockchain-podcast-uncovers-gripping-true-crime-saga","type":"other","url":""},{"credibility":3,"name":"https://vinciworks.com/blog/how-ruja-ignatova-built-a-4b-fraud-and-why-it-matters-for-crypto-and-aml","type":"other","url":""}]}],"sources_used":[],"summary":"Ruja Ignatova, known as the 'Cryptoqueen,' is the Bulgaria-born German co-founder of OneCoin, a fraudulent pyramid scheme that defrauded approximately 3.5 million victims of more than $4 billion between 2014 and 2019. Indicted in 2017 by a U.S. grand jury on charges of wire fraud, money laundering, and securities fraud, she fled law enforcement in October 2017 and remains a fugitive. She is currently an FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitive with a $5 million reward for information leading to her arrest.","timeline":[{"date":"1980-05-30","event":"Ruja Ignatova born in Ruse, Bulgaria.","source":""},{"date":"1990-01-01","event":"Ignatova family emigrates to Germany following the fall of the Iron Curtain.","source":""},{"date":"2005-01-01","event":"Ignatova completes PhD in private international law at the University of Konstanz; also holds an Oxford Master's degree in European and Comparative Law.","source":""},{"date":"2012-01-01","event":"Convicted of fraud in Germany in connection with a company acquisition involving her father; receives a 14-month suspended sentence.","source":""},{"date":"2014-01-01","event":"Co-founds OneCoin Ltd. in Sofia, Bulgaria, alongside Karl Sebastian Greenwood, launching the global MLM-based fraudulent cryptocurrency scheme.","source":""},{"date":"2016-06-11","event":"Hosts a large promotional event for OneCoin investors at Wembley Arena, London, presenting herself as 'Dr. Ruja' and marketing OneCoin as the 'Bitcoin killer.'","source":""},{"date":"2017-10-12","event":"Grand jury in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, indicts Ignatova on charges of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.","source":""},{"date":"2017-10-25","event":"Ignatova boards a Ryanair flight from Sofia to Athens, Greece, and disappears; she has not been seen publicly since. She was scheduled to address investors in Lisbon on this date.","source":""},{"date":"2018-02-01","event":"Superseding indictment filed in SDNY adds charges of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and securities fraud.","source":""},{"date":"2018-07-01","event":"Karl Sebastian Greenwood arrested in Thailand.","source":""},{"date":"2019-03-01","event":"Konstantin Ignatov, Ruja's brother and OneCoin's de facto CEO after her disappearance, arrested at Los Angeles International Airport.","source":""},{"date":"2019-11-12","event":"Konstantin Ignatov's guilty plea to fraud and money laundering charges made public; he faces up to 90 years in prison but cooperated with authorities.","source":""},{"date":"2019-11-25","event":"Attorney Mark Scott convicted of conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to commit bank fraud for laundering over $400 million in OneCoin proceeds.","source":""},{"date":"2022-06-01","event":"FBI adds Ruja Ignatova to its Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list; initial reward of $250,000 offered.","source":""},{"date":"2022-12-01","event":"Karl Sebastian Greenwood pleads guilty to wire fraud and conspiracy to launder money.","source":""},{"date":"2023-04-01","event":"Mark Scott sentenced to 10 years in federal prison and ordered to forfeit approximately $393 million.","source":""},{"date":"2023-09-13","event":"Karl Sebastian Greenwood sentenced to 20 years in federal prison and ordered to forfeit $300 million by U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos.","source":""},{"date":"2024-06-01","event":"FBI reward for information leading to Ignatova's arrest increased from $250,000 to $5,000,000. U.S. Department of State also lists reward under Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program.","source":""},{"date":"2025-11-01","event":"Prosecutors trace alleged Ignatova assets to two London luxury properties valued at approximately £11.4 million, sold via shell companies in Guernsey.","source":""},{"date":"2026-04-14","event":"U.S. Department of Justice opens formal $40 million victim compensation claims process, administered by Kroll Settlement Administration LLC, with a June 30, 2026 deadline.","source":""}]},"v":1}