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.
“She timed her scheme perfectly, capitalizing on the frenzied speculation of the early days of cryptocurrency,” said Damian Williams, the top federal prosecutor in Manhattan….