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April 26, 2023 Hushpuppi: Notorious Nigerian fraudster jailed for 11 years in US BBCView Full coverage on Google News Sources 1/ by newsdesk. And now Mr Kyari too is wanted in the US on charges of fraud, money laundering and identity theft. Advantageous comparison: using Twitter responses to understand similarities between cybercriminals (Yahoo Boys) and politicians (Yahoo men). He used to buy beer for everyone around.". On Instagram, he dropped the "Billionaire Gucci Master" moniker for "Real Estate Developer" about eight months before his arrest and subsequent transfer to the US to stand trial. Many went to Malaysia and Abbas followed them, ending up in Kuala Lumpur around 2014, then Dubai in 2017. Na on top accuse say im dey plan to tiff plenty millions of dollars through business email compromise (BEC), yahoo-yahoo and oda mago-mago. According to the FBI, in 2020 BEC fraud resulted in losses of $1.8bn. Hushpuppi also deny money laundering conspiracies, international money laundering and oda crime dem. [37], In November 2022, Curtis James Jackson III, a.k.a, 50 Cent, announced his plan on Instagram to shoot a television series on the life of Hushpuppi, including his fraudulent career path and sentencing. He assumed the identity of a New York banker to entrap his victim, a Qatari businessperson seeking a $15m loan to build a new school in the Gulf state. murders, a place with a murky past. [36], Related to the above, another study on public opinion on Twitter revealed significant discrepancies between Nigeria's northern and southern regions regarding online fraudsters' arrests, convictions, and sentencing. "In my opinion, the FBI and the government here acted illegally when they kidnapped him from Dubai without any legal process to do so," Mr Pissetzky told the BBC. Social media influencer Hushpuppi sentenced to 11 years in prison over money laundering conspiracy. Despite him pleading guilty in April to money laundering, Hushpuppis social media is still live and attracting followers. Instagram Influencer, Nigerian Scammer Indicted for Stealing Over $1.1 Million Cardinal News News Ticker Male, Age 30, Accused of Stabbing, Killing His Mother in House They Shared in South Elgin CRIME BLOG C So when you see someone who is rich, you will pray to God to give you his kind of wealth., BBCs detailed report on Hushpuppi the Instagram influencer and international fraudster, he attempted to launder 13m euros (11m; $15m) stolen by a gang of North Korean hackers from the Maltese Bank of Valletta, pleading guilty in April to money laundering. [36] By implication, if what was once morally condemnable becomes a source of valuation, it becomes a source of valuation in its consequences in society. Despite himpleading guilty in April to money laundering, Hushpuppis social media is still live and attracting followers. Click to get a sign-in link sent to your email. The scams were to be carried out via Business Email Compromise (BEC). He has previously denied having any criminal involvement with Abbas and has not responded to the BBCs requests for comment. Abigail Mamo, chief executive of the Maltese chamber of small and medium enterprises, says the heist plunged the holiday island into "chaos". The affidavit claims that Mr Abbas conspired to launder $14.7m (11.7m) stolen in a cyber-heist from a foreign financial institution in February 2019. Court documents allege Abbas's crimes cost victims almost $24m in total. Some of it was laundered via the purchase of a watch worth a staggering $230,000. He assumed the identity of a New York banker to entrap his victim, a Qatari businessperson seeking a $15m loan to build a new school in the Gulf state. Professionals were victimised. Abbas's final big scam before his arrest in Dubai in June 2020 was straight-up identity theft, borrowed from the Yahoo Boy romance scams of his youth. "He is a social media influencer with millions of followers, with millions of people that respect and loved him, and he loved them, and that's what he did. A Nigerian influencer known as Hushpuppi who was arrested in Dubai for financial crimes costing tens of millions of dollars is scheduled to be sentenced by a California court on Monday. WebFirst broadcast: Thu 16 th Sep 2021, 02:32 on BBC World Service Australasia Latest broadcast: Thu 16 th Sep 2021, 20:06 on BBC World Service East Asia. Video, On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry, he attempted to launder 13m euros (11m; $15m) stolen by a gang of North Korean hackers from the Maltese Bank of Valletta, pleading guilty in April to money laundering, The Nigerian super sleuth wanted in the US, Flashy Nigerian Instagrammers 'caught with $40m in cash', Why Nigerian cyber fraudsters are 'role models', Serena Williams announces pregnancy at Met Gala, Corpse found under Tibet hotel bed leads to probe, New record as 4.56m Indians take flights in a day, Shooting suspect was deported four times - US media, Met Gala 2023: Stars celebrate Karl Lagerfeld, Japan to ban upskirting in stronger sex crime laws, BP profits of 4bn in three months spark criticism. Hushpuppi was American social networking service, Instagram has deactivated the verified account of the embattled internet fraudster, Abbas Ramon, popularly known as Hushpuppi, Naija News reports. Exclusive: Woodberry, Hushpuppis ally, pleads guilty to fraud, Hushpuppis ally, Woodberry pleads guilty to fraud charge in US, Hushpuppis ally, Woodberry, pleads guilty to internet fraud, forfeits $8m, others, Hushpuppis close ally Woodberry pleads guilty, forfeits $8m, luxury Dubai assets, Posh Dubai assets Hushpuppis ally, Woodberry, is to forfeit to US govt, Hushpuppis colleague Woodberry pleads guilty to internet fraud, to forfeit Dubai assets, return $8m to victims. Ramon Abbas could face up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to money laundering in July 2021. "But if you look at the bank accounts that police have traced, they all belong to the records obtained by the police in their raids [on Hushpuppi's home in Dubai].". Abbas, under the name Ray Hushpuppi, had more than 2 million Instagram followers before he was arrested in 2020 in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Mr Almazar says shame prevents many more of Hushpuppi's victims coming forward. The rise and fall of Hushpuppi the social media influencer and global money-launderer. [1] He was sentenced in the United States to 11 years for conspiracy to launder money obtained from business email compromise frauds and other scams, including schemes that defrauded a US law firm of about $40 million, illegally transferred $14.7 million from a foreign financial institution, and targeted to steal $124 million from an English Premier League club. [30] The Police chief was further implicated after his conversation with Hushpuppi was released. I went to Nigeria to meet the man who scammed me, AI chatbots 'may soon be more intelligent than us', Russia troop deaths hit 20,000 in five months - US, Palestinian hunger striker dies in Israel prison, The 17 most eye-catching looks at the Met Gala, The burden of being cricket legend Tendulkar's son, 'My wife and six children joined Kenya starvation cult', On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry. Please click 'Sign in and Subscribe' to continue. Little did they know that his lavish lifestyle was funded through a complex web of cyber-heists. File on 4 & BBC Africa Ramon Abbas - known to his 2.5 million Instagram followers as Hushpuppi - is considered by the FBI to be one of the world's most high Despite him pleading guilty in April to money laundering, Hushpuppi's social media is still live and attracting followers. Read about our approach to external linking. Mr Pissetzky admits that he is not "100% familiar" with social media and his children consider him too old but he knows "that's how people make money today". Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? He is a celebrity. Ramon Abbas known to his 2.5 million Instagram followers as Hushpuppi is considered by the FBI to be one of the worlds most high-profile fraudsters and faces a prison sentence of up to 20 years in the US after pleading guilty to money laundering. But soon, the cracks between the gang started to show. Tori bin dey circulate for local media say di Instagram celebrity bin receive fresh charges. You may want to read Metas Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. [36], Therefore, the linguistic juxtapositions of "Hushpuppi" and "Mr. Ibrahim Magu" by Twitter users serve as exonerative social media devices more broadly and have real-life consequences. "We cannot say with 100% certainty that Hushpuppi is behind it," Mr Almazar says. "But if you look at the bank accounts that police have traced, they all belong to the records obtained by the police in their raids [on Hushpuppi's home in Dubai]." Ramon Abbas - known to his 2.5 million Instagram followers as Hushpuppi - is considered by the FBI to be one of the world's most high-profile fraudsters and faces a prison sentence of up to 20 years in the US after pleading guilty to money laundering. Brother I cant send from UK to Mexico, Abbass sidekick messaged him. One UK victim, who wanted to remain anonymous, says he lost 500,000, has been forced to leave the UAE - and is himself facing criminal proceedings in Dubai because of the debt he has incurred as a result of the fraud. One member threatened to blow the whole scam wide open as he was unhappy about the money he was getting. This is when his Instagram posts - and crimes - went to another level. 2023 BBC. Read about our approach to external linking. This is when his Instagram posts - and crimes - went to another level. Professionals were victimised. But everyone knew the source of his mysterious wealth - cybercrime; he was a "Yahoo", Seye says. At Mondays sentencing, Abbas was sentenced to to 135 months in federal prison and was ordered to pay $922,857 in restitution to the law firm and $809,983 in restitution to the victim in Qatar. Dr Oyenuga says Hushpuppi's influence endures as he is still regarded as a role model: "We're in a country where a lot of young people are suffering. Read about our approach to external linking. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. November 8, 2022. Insurance Penetration: CIIG moves to deepen awareness on policy purchase, May Day Celebration: Workers in Nkwanta rally to demand better labor conditions -Adom TV News, Access to Electricity: 12 border communities at Chereponi are connected to the national grid - Adom. In February 2019,he attempted to launder 13m euros (11m; $15m) stolen by a gang of North Korean hackers from the Maltese Bank of Valletta. The song contained lyrics directed toward Abbas indirectly accusing him of being a swindler and lavishing his money on designer clothes instead of investing in profitable ventures and warning him that he would soon be caught by authorities. He was handed over to the agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who took him to the United States of America to face the consequences of his criminal activities. This article contains content provided by Instagram. [2], Until his arrest by the Dubai Police in June 2020 and subsequent extradition to the United States,[3][4][5][6] Abbas posted pictures and videos of his lavish spending on exotic cars, watches, designer clothes, bags from expensive brands like Gucci, Fendi, and Louis Vuitton and of himself boarding helicopters, with celebrities, footballers, and Nigerian politicians or while on charter jets. Hushpuppi's former home, 9 Ogunyomi Street, in the Oworonshoki area of Lagos, Hushpuppi's Instagram posts about his luxurious lifestyle attracted hundreds of thousands of likes, Investigators say it is difficult to track down scammers when those in a network are based all over the world. BEC fraud is a huge issue across the world. Lazarus, S., & Button, M. (2022). Multiple sources in Malta including Times of Malta and Malta Today also repeated Forbes's claims that Hushpuppi could have been behind the attack. In that email the scammers - posing as a supplier awaiting payment - typically say they've switched banks, so the payment will need to be wired to a different account; the details for which they will provide. Email scams typically try to steal an individual's personal information, or to defraud them by impersonating a legitimate business contact and tricking the target into sending money into a wrong account. But if you look at the bank accounts that police have traced, they all belong to the records obtained by the police in their raids [on Hushpuppis home in Dubai].. Ramon Abbas also known as Ray Hushpuppi faces 20 years in prison after he was arrested with a staggering 29 million of cash and 13 luxury cars. According to the FBI, in 2020 BEC fraud resulted in losses of $1.8bn. In that email the scammers - posing as a supplier awaiting payment - typically say they've switched banks, so the payment will need to be wired to a different account; the details for which they will provide. Feds used his posts to link him to alleged cyber crimes", "Money laundering: US court to sentence Hushpuppi on Valentine's Day", "Nigerian Influencer Ramon 'Hushpuppi' Abbas, Accused By FBI Of Money Laundering, Is Denied Bail", "Why We Arrested Hushpuppi Dubai Police", "How the FBI used Instagram and Snapchat to track down an alleged conman in Dubai", "Di big numbers behind Hushpuppi arrest and why e shake Nigeria", "Hushpuppi is into real estate, not a fraudster - Lawyer", "Nigerian Man Sentenced to Over 11 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Launder Tens of Millions of Dollars from Online Scams", "Instagram influencer 'Hushpuppi' arrested amid claims of 350million global cyberscam", "Hushpuppi: Formerly A Second-hand Clothes Seller In Lagos, Now A Billionaire Fraudster", "Mompha Shares Photo Of The Yellow Taxi Allegedly Being Used By Hushpuppi's Dad To Earn A Living", "INSIDE STORY: The Lagos slum where Hushpuppi bought food on credit and washed cars to survive", "Hushpuppi Blasts Phyno, Olamide & Timaya After Watching "telli Person" Musical Video", "VIDEO: "Hushpuppi Was Warned Before His Arrest" - Fans React To Timaya's Telli Person Video", "Hushpupi Arraigned in US Court for Conspiring to Defraud English Premier League Club $124m (see full charges)", "Update 3 | BOV cyber attack: 13 million transferred out with false transactions", "Hacker linked to BOV's 13 million cyber heist denied bail", "Nigerian scammer arrested by FBI could be behind 13m BOV cyberattack", "Nigerian National Brought to U.S. to Face Charges of Conspiring to Launder Hundreds of Millions of Dollars from Cybercrime Schemes", "Nigerian Instagram Star Aided North Korea Cyber Crime, U.S. Says", https://media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2020/07/usa_v_abbas_complaint_0.pdf, "Hushpuppi connected to several cyber crimes EFCC", "Five reasons Hushpuppi must remain in detention - U.S. Court", "The Fall of the Billionaire Gucci Master", "Hushpuppi: Nigerian influencer pleads guilty to money laundering", "JUST IN: Hushpuppi narrates how he bribed Nigerian top cop Abba Kyari in $1.1 million deal", "Nigeria respond afta US order for arrest of Abba Kyari wey dem indict for Hushpuppi fraud case", "FBI Releases Conversation Between Hushpuppi And Abba Kyari [See Full Text]", "Hushpuppi thanks FBI for doing great job to make world safer from "criminals like myself", "Hushpuppi scores last-minute relief as court postpones sentencing to November 2022", "Hushpuppi: Notorious Nigerian fraudster jailed for 11 years in US", https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e11142, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/564560-rapper-50-cent-to-produce-hushpuppi-series.html, https://www.instagram.com/p/CkwSkKzORE-/?hl=en, https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2021-hushpuppi-gucci-influencer/, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXA7rcVBslU, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hushpuppi&oldid=1149991788, Nigerian expatriates in the United Arab Emirates, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Hushpuppi, Hush, Ray Hushpuppi, The Billionaire Gucci Blaiso, Alleged business email compromise, scam, and money laundering, This page was last edited on 15 April 2023, at 17:51. The BBC has used newly available court documents to uncover the man behind cyber heists that have cost his victims millions, from his humble beginnings as a Yahoo Boy hustler in Nigeria to a so-called Billionaire Gucci Master living a life of luxury in Dubai before his arrest last year. "I have seen parents who have taken their children to learn how to become Yahoo Boys. He used to buy beer for everyone around.. Terrifyingly simple, BEC works by intercepting payments via fake emails that appear to come from an address that is almost exactly the same as the supplier's. Shopping trolleys filled with goods were abandoned at checkouts as payment systems shut down. Once a relationship is established via a false identity, romance scammers wheedle money from their online lovers. [32], On 19 September 2022, Judge Otis Wright delayed Hushpuppi's sentencing to 3 November 2022. Ghaleb Alaumary, 37, of Mississauga in Ontario, Canada, was charged separately. Neither are named in the court documents. The BBC has used newly available court documents to uncover the man behind cyber heists that have cost his victims millions, from his humble beginnings as a "Yahoo Boy" hustler in Nigeria to a so-called "Billionaire Gucci Master" living a life of luxury in Dubai before his arrest last year. Instagram has said Nigerian fraudster Hushpuppi may continue using his account despite facing conviction for fraud in the United States. Dubai-based The National reported that Instagram declared Hushpuppi free to continue using his social media account. It said the Nigerian did not violate the social media platform's laws. "We cannot say with 100% certainty that Hushpuppi is behind it," Mr Almazar says. [36] The study concludes that the process by which some actions are interpreted as a crime compared to others is a moral enterprise. Director of Media Relations, United States Attorney's Office, Central District of California Mrozek Thom tell BBC Pidgin say di tori no dey true. Hushpuppi, for charges bordering on Business Email Compromise (BEC) and money laundering. Is climate change killing Australian wine? They're sometimes called 419 scams, after the relevant article in the Nigerian Criminal Code. "Yahoo Boys" are romance scammers who took their name from the first free email available in Nigeria. US Department of Justice dismiss di report on Thursday wen dem react to di viral tori. By clicking 'Sign in and Subscribe' you agree to us subscribing you to our newsletter in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Legal Notice.Emails, which may be sent daily or less frequently, may include marketing elements. IE 11 is not supported. Ramon Abbas - known to his 2.5 million Instagram followers as Hushpuppi - is considered by the FBI to be one of the world's most high-profile fraudsters and faces a prison sentence of up to 20 years in the US after pleading guilty to money laundering. [17], Upon his arrival in the United States on 3 July 2020, he was accused of conspiring to launder 'hundreds of millions of dollars'. To see how, and to learn how to control cookies, 2023 BBC. The 37-year-old began his career in Oworonshoki, a poor coastal area in the north-east of Lagos, Nigeria's commercial capital. Court documents allege Abbas's crimes cost victims almost $24m in total. They see another young person who was once like them become that great. The accounts clerk is fooled into thinking it is a legitimate request from the supplier - and, with a single click of a mouse, vast sums of money are lost. The reply shows the next heist was being planned: "Next one is in few weeks; will let you know when it's ready. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 25(8), 504-511. Local driver Seye told the BBC that he remembered Abbas as a young boy working alongside his mother in the Olojojo market. This Instagram post cannot be displayed in your browser. April 26, 2023 Hushpuppi: Notorious Nigerian fraudster jailed for 11 years in US BBCView Full coverage on Google News Sources 1/ by newsdesk. Fashion; by newsdesk. You can unsubscribe whenever you want. The bank said it managed to recover 10m euros. But some believe the actual total could be much higher. A lawyer for Hushpuppi (pictured) says the US had no authority to transport him from Dubai. Kemi Olunloyo set to release long list of actresses who slept Fraud:Woodberry, Hushpuppis Partner, to Forfeit $8m Choice Properties, Hushpuppis accomplice pleads guilty to internet fraud; agrees to pay $8m to victims, Hushpuppis Ally, Woodberry, Pleads Guilty To Internet Fraud, Forfeits $8m, Others, EXCLUSIVE: Woodberry, Hushpuppis ally, pleads guilty to fraud, Hushpuppis Close Ally Woodberry Pleads Guilty, Forfeits $8m, Luxury Dubai Assets, Hushpuppi's associate, Woodberry, pleads guilty, forfeits $8m, assets. Snared by the FBI in 2020, Abbas is better known as Instagram influencer Hushpuppi, who flaunted a life of designer clothes, private jets and penthouse apartments to millions of followers. In February 2019, $14.7 million was transferred out of the bank through false international transactions to accounts in the United States, the United Kingdom, Czech Republic, and Hong Kong. Homepage. De external site no concern BBC. Shopping trolleys filled with goods were abandoned at checkouts as payment systems shut down. The United States Central District Court in California has sentenced Nigerian internet sensation, Ramon Abbas, popularly known as Hushpuppi to 11 years in prison. Citing interviews with old neighbours of Abbas, TheCable.ng reported that Abbas had a reputation as a "Yahoo Yahoo boy" a local name for a cybercriminal, was not supported by his mother, had not lifted any of his old friends from poverty, and had ignored multiple warnings regarding his lifestyle. "[12], Many news platforms have reported that Abbas was once a second-hand clothes seller in Lagos. Abbass final big scam before his arrest in Dubai in June 2020 was straight-up identity theft, borrowed from the Yahoo Boy romance scams of his youth. Notorious and disgraced Internet fraudster, Olalekan Jacob Ponle, also known as Woodberry, has pleaded guilty to internet fraud. November 8, 2022. The bank said it managed to recover 10m euros. During di detention hearing, court for di Northern District of Illinois, USA rule say make di U.S. Now, Assignment unmasks Ramon Abbas, revealing a complicated, sometimes ruthless character driven by a thirst for wealth and celebrity status. We contacted Instagram to ask why his "They keep finding out.". Hushpuppi is facing criminal charges in the United States for conspiracy to launder money obtained from business email compromise frauds and other scams, including schemes that defrauded a US law firm of about $40 million, illegally transferred $14.7 million from a foreign financial institution, and targeted to steal $124 million from an English Abigail Mamo, chief executive of the Maltese chamber of small and medium enterprises, says the heist plunged the holiday island into "chaos". Local driver Seye told the BBC that he remembered Abbas as a young boy working alongside his mother in the Olojojo market. Some of it was laundered via the purchase of a watch worth a staggering $230,000. He has previously denied having any criminal involvement with Abbas - and has not responded to the BBC's requests for comment. Local driver Seye told the BBC that he remembered Abbas as a young boy working alongside his mother in the Olojojo market.

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