"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].". 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. A lawyer for Hushpuppi (pictured) says the US had no authority to transport him from Dubai. WebBreaking news headlines about Hushpuppi, linking to 1,000s of sources around the world, on NewsNow: the one-stop shop for breaking news. One member threatened to blow the whole scam wide open as he was unhappy about the money he was getting. Too bad they caught on, or it would have been a nice pay out.". The 37-year-old began his career in Oworonshoki, a poor coastal area in the north-east of Lagos, Nigerias commercial capital. Abbas is also accused of committing fraud in Nigeria as he is also wanted by Nigeria's financial crime police, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.[25]. He represents around 25 people - including eight UK citizens - in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), all of whom believe they are victims of one of Hushpuppi's BEC scams. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Antoine Verglas Opens Up About His Journey To Becoming A Fashion Photographer. 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. 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. But some believe the actual total could be much higher. Abigail Mamo, chief executive of the Maltese chamber of small and medium enterprises, says the heist plunged the holiday island into "chaos". His father was a taxi driver. We contacted Instagram to ask why his account was still open. Jon Shilland, fraud lead with the UKs National Crime Agency, says it can be difficult tracking down criminal networks based in multiple jurisdictions. Ramon Abbas, 40, also was ordered by a federal judge to pay $1.7 million in restitution to two fraud victims, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. 2023 BBC. 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. 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. Court documents allege Abbas's crimes cost victims almost $24m in total. EXCLUSIVE: Again, U. S. court postpones sentencing of But everyone knew the source of his mysterious wealth - cybercrime; he was a "Yahoo", Seye says. Hushpuppi: the Instagram influencer and international Subscribe to our email alert of the day's top stories from the UK and around the world. [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. Show more Download Choose your file Higher quality (128kbps) [22] U.S. authorities also accused him of aiding North Korean hackers in money laundering.[23]. The rise and fall of Hushpuppi the social media influencer and global money-launderer. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? 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. April 26, 2023 Hushpuppi: Notorious Nigerian fraudster jailed for 11 years in US BBCView Full coverage on Google News Sources 1/ by newsdesk. It is alleged that Mr Kyari then falsely arrested and detained the middleman for a month in a squalid Nigerian cell. "Yes, please," he replied, subdued. 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. In May 2019, Abbas was tasked with setting up a bank account in Mexico. This article contains content provided by Instagram. You can unsubscribe whenever you want. a court deputy asked on Thursday when he dialled into the hearing from federal prison. "We cannot say with 100% certainty that Hushpuppi is behind it," Mr Almazar says. According to the FBI, in 2020 BEC fraud resulted in losses of $1.8bn. An existing account was found for this email address. 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. None of the Premiership clubs would confirm whether or not they were the intended victim. Di charges compromise, frauds and oda scams wey include plans wey target one U.S law firm, one foreign bank and one English Premier League Soccer club. Hushpuppi latest news: US justice department dismiss The social media platform told the BBC that it had carried out an investigation into his account - but had decided not to close it. ", Seye says everyone knows Hushpuppi has committed a crime, but it is understandable: "No-one prays to be poor. "His clients understand that he was victimised," Mr Almazar explains. The Judge had initially rejected the plea of the defendant's motion for a delay of judgement. 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 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. His family are still in the UAE. [36] The manifestation of linguistic maneuvering, "advantageous comparison" as a preferred technique of choice by Twitter users, exposes their total trivialization of online fraudsters' economic actions, e.g., Huspuppi. Di social media influencer don dey detention for almost two years now. Their foreign suppliers did not receive the money Were talking about thousands of euros.. [35] Specifically, Twitter responses (from Nigerians in Nigeria and abroad) innovatively merge the names of a former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Mr. Ibrahim Magu accused of fraudulent and corrupt practices) and Hushpuppi as "Hush Ibrahim," "Hush Magu," and "Puppi Magu. 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. A fact known all too well by Dubai-based lawyer Barney Almazar. Instagram celebrity known as Ray Hushpuppi has been charged for stealing more than $1.1 million in an elaborate scam in which he faked the financing of a Qatari school. That is the real story here.". [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. His family are still in the UAE. He did not speak again. [26] At Abbas' detention hearing, his lawyer, Pissetzky told the court that his client posed no flight risk because of the damage it would do to his credibility online, adding, "He is loved and respected. Ramon Olorunwa Abbas aka Hushpuppi reported $400,000 fraud inside US prison no be true. File on 4's Hush Money: The Rise and Fall of an International Fraudster is available on BBC Sounds. Despite him pleading guilty in April to money laundering, Hushpuppis social media is still live and attracting followers. "Yahoo Boys" are romance scammers who took their name from the first free email available in Nigeria. He has previously denied having any criminal involvement with Abbas and has not responded to the BBCs requests for comment. (2022). Social media influencer Hushpuppi sentenced to 11 years in prison over money laundering conspiracy. The reply shows the next heist was being planned: Next one is in few weeks; will let you know when its ready. 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. 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. Some of it was laundered via the purchase of a watch worth a staggering $230,000. Too bad they caught on, or it would have been a nice pay out.. But the Premiership scam fell apart when the UK banks refused to pay into the Mexican account. Jon Shilland, fraud lead with the UK's National Crime Agency, says it can be difficult tracking down criminal networks based in multiple jurisdictions. Shopping trolleys filled with goods were abandoned at checkouts as payment systems shut down. He did not answer how he ended up in US custody. A notorious Instagram influencer from Nigeria has been jailed for more than 11 years in the US for his role in an international fraud syndicate. The scam was very sophisticated. Mr Abbas' lawyer Gal Pissetzky told the BBC that his client, who posts on Instagram about his extravagant lifestyle, was not a criminal and had made his money legitimately. "Afta we don look di document wey dey inside di recent media accounts, di U.S. Attorney Office for Los Angeles, wey file di case against Mr. Abbas, no filed any such document. This Instagram post cannot be displayed in your browser. He used to buy beer for everyone around.". Hushpuppi News | Latest News About Hushpuppi on Naija News Hushpuppi By clicking "OK" or continuing to use this site, you agree that we may collect and use your personal data and set Heliyon, 8(11), e11142. Ramon Abbas could face up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to money laundering in July 2021. According to the affidavit[24] other communications between Abbas and one of his co-conspirators indicated that the two had conspired to "launder tens, and at times hundreds, of millions of dollars that were proceeds of other fraudulent schemes and computer intrusions, including a fraudulent scheme to steal 100 million ($124 million) from an English Premier League football club. Once a relationship is established via a false identity, romance scammers wheedle money from their online lovers. "Damn," Abbas said in a text to a fellow scammer at the time in messages obtained by the FBI. Some of it was laundered via the purchase of a watch worth a staggering $230,000. He has spent his life in the UAE. "I have seen parents who have taken their children to learn how to become Yahoo Boys. Just days after we put the same question to Snapchat, which deleted Hushpuppi's account. Video, On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry, statement about Mr Abbas' initial court appearance, Africa Live: The latest from the continent, Flashy Nigerian Instagrammers 'caught with $40m in cash', Dubai police said they recovered $40m (32m) in cash, 13 luxury cars worth $6.8m, 21 computers, 47 smartphones and the addresses of nearly two million alleged victims, 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. "You'll have to ask them about why they called it an extradition," the US Department of Justice (DoJ) spokesman responded in an email. Please click 'Sign in and Subscribe' to continue. grassroots elite basketball ; why does ted lasso have a southern accent . ; "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. They see another young person who was once like them become that great. His lawyer Michael B Nash told the judge at a detention hearing on Thursday that he had not had a chance to speak to his client. Hushpuppi, Nigerian social media influencer, funded his luxurious lifestyle by cybercrime. Like many Yahoo Boys, Abbas broadened his criminal horizons. 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. S2.3 Hushpuppi. 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. US Department of Justice dismiss di report on Thursday wen dem react to di viral tori. News Jon Shilland, fraud lead with the UK's National Crime Agency, says it can be difficult tracking down criminal networks based in multiple jurisdictions. "There was no extradition, there were no legal steps taken, there were no court documents filed, it was simply a call to the FBI. 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. WebThe big boy Hushpuppi was humbled when he was handcuffed just like a petty criminal, his designers and latest cars could do nothing. But some believe the actual total could be much higher. Too bad they caught on, or it would have been a nice pay out.". 2023 BBC. [3] If convicted of conspiracy to engage in money laundering, Abbas would face a statutory maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison, perhaps even 20 years, after which he will be deported to his home country Nigeria. According to court documents in California, he has cost victims 17m in total. 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 fears that he might get apprehended at immigration immediately.". Available for over a year The Latest. 2023 Grace Experience: Ga West Presbytery holds forum to empower women - Anigyee Kasee - Adom TV, First video of Hushpuppi in prison after sentencing pops up, Hushpuppi sentenced to 11 years in prison, Instagram explains suspension of Hushpuppis account, Hes best cleaner in prison; have mercy Hushpuppis lawyer to court, Hushpuppi allegedly caught in fresh $400k fraud while in prison, Lilwin mourns after being hit with sad news, Akufo-Addo appeals for concessionary loans from World Bank, IMF, Netizens criticise designer for poor fit of brides kente corset dress, Kwabena Agyapong wades into Frimpong Boatengs galamsey report, I was an absentee mother Otiko Djaba on why she rejected ambassador job, Sudan crisis: The football coach forced to flee Khartoum, Photos of level 300 UCC student found dead in her hostel, How a pastor embarrassed me after church due to body odour Joseph Mensah, Bride steals spotlight with her backless gown with long pleated train, Kwabena Duffuor II reacts to campaign posters with Mahama. Professionals were victimised. 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. Mr Almazar says shame prevents many more of Hushpuppi's victims coming forward. Many went to Malaysia - and Abbas followed them, ending up in Kuala Lumpur around 2014, then Dubai in 2017. "His clients understand that he was victimised," Mr Almazar explains. Detectives seized more than 150 million dirham (about $40 million) in cash, 13 luxury cars worth Dh 25 million ($7M), 21 laptops, 47 smartphones, 15 memory storage devices, five external hard drives and 800,000 emails of potential victims alongside suitcases full of cash. [30] The Police chief was further implicated after his conversation with Hushpuppi was released. Nigerian social media influencer, Ramon Olorunwa Abbas popularly known as Ray Hushpuppi, was charged and indicted in a $1.1 million fraud by the United States Damn, Abbas said in a text to a fellow scammer at the time in messages obtained by the FBI. Many went to Malaysia and Abbas followed them, ending up in Kuala Lumpur around 2014, then Dubai in 2017. [36] The study argues that this type of linguistic manipulation voiced as public opinion on Twitter denies the sufferings of victims of online fraud. We live in a world that loves youth and beauty and is afraid of
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