FBI offers R90 million reward for fugitive Ruja Ignatova reportedly hiding in South Africa

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is offering a $5 million (approximately R90 million) reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of his most wanted fugitive Ruja Ignatova.

Ruja Ignatova is wanted for her alleged participation in a massive fraud scheme. In early 2014, Ignatova and others allegedly defrauded investors around the world of billions of dollars.

FBI’S MOST WANTED RUJA IGNATOVA IS EXPOSING IN SA

Ignatova founded OneCoin Ltd. on, a Bulgaria-based company that launched a purported cryptocurrency. To carry out the scheme, Ignatova allegedly made false statements and representations to individuals to solicit investments in OneCoin.

She allegedly instructed the victims to transfer investment funds to OneCoin accounts to purchase OneCoin packages, causing the victims to send transfers representing these investments. Throughout the scheme, OneCoin is believed to have defrauded victims of more than $4 billion, the FBI said.

“Ruja Ignatova was the top leader of OneCoin until October 2017. On October 25, 2017, Ignatova traveled from Sofia, Bulgaria, to Athens, Greece, and may have traveled elsewhere,” the FBI said.

UNDERWORLD FIGURE MURDERED IN CONSTANTIA

In May 2023, The South African reported that the two men and two women shot dead in Constantia, Cape Town, were a Bulgarian underworld figure, Krasimir Kamenov, his wife, and the couple’s bodyguard and nanny.

Kamenov had recently been added to the Interpol Red Notice list because he was wanted in his home country at the time for murder and extortion.

After the shooting, reports emerged that Ignatova was among the victims. However, earlier this month German publication Der Spiegel reported that police in the country suspected previous reports of Ignatova’s death were false and were following leads in South Africa.

This was said by a spokesperson for the North Rhine-Westphalia state police, Daniela Dässel Daily Maverick that in the absence of solid information or evidence to the contrary, Ruja Ignatova was believed to be alive, and the search continues.

OVER THE YEARS, A NUMBER OF MOST WANTED Fugitives AND DANGEROUS CRIMINALS HAVE BEEN ARRESTED IN SOUTH AFRICA. WHAT DO YOU THINK LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ARE NOT DOING RIGHT?

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