In recent developments, Ruja Ignatova, the self-acclaimed “Cryptoqueen” and the founder of OneCoin has allegedly resurfaced in South Africa after being missing for 7 years.

Notably, the Cryptoqueen is known for her major contribution to OneCoin, one of the largest crypto scams to hit the digital asset space. In fact, the Bulgarian scammer is currently among the FBI’s ten most wanted fugitives and is also the FBI’s most wanted woman.

“Ruja Ignatova is wanted for her participation in a large-scale fraud scheme involving cryptocurrency,” said the FBI.

Accordingly, the United States Department of State’s Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program offered a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Ruja Ignatova.

With the recent reported sightings of the Cryptoqueen in South Africa, perhaps she would finally be apprehended by law enforcement to answer for her crimes.

Background on the Cryptoqueen; OneCoin Cryptocurrency Scam

Ruja Ignatova founded Onecoin in 2014 with her brother Konstantin Ignatova and Sebastian Greenwood. They claimed Onecoin would be the next “Bitcoin” and promised multiplied returns.

Further, it encouraged investors to invite others to increase rewards. But Onecoin was not tradable outside its platform, not listed on exchanges, and not even based on blockchain technology.

National banks and financial bodies soon began warning against Onecoin. Still, Ruja Ignatova continued to lure investors, claiming Onecoin would “kill Bitcoin.” However, as system glitches grew in 2017, she disappeared.

In 2018, law enforcement raided Onecoin’s headquarters in Bulgaria. Then, in early 2019, Konstantin Ignatova was arrested, and the Onecoin website was finally shut down later that year.

Onecoin’s grand-scale fraud defrauded investors of over $4 billion in only three years. Ruja Ignatova, self-styled “Cryptoqueen,” spearheaded this scheme but has been missing for over seven years. Perhaps, the Cryptoqueen’s days of hiding are over with justice knocking at her door.