Professionals were victimised. They then appeared in a Chicago court on 3 July. "They came up with the idea of stealing identities. Huspuppi go get court sentencing for dis charges on 11 July, 2022. 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. Rapper 50 Cents to Produce Hushpuppi Series, retrieved: Bloomberg (June 2021). 40 mins; This is when his Instagram posts - and crimes - went to another level. Despite him pleading guilty in April to money laundering, Hushpuppi's social media is still live and attracting followers. The Latest. According to court documents in California, he has cost victims 17m in total. WebBreaking news headlines about Hushpuppi, linking to 1,000s of sources around the world, on NewsNow: the one-stop shop for breaking news. A fact known all too well by Dubai-based lawyer Barney Almazar. They see another young person who was once like them become that great. He was sentenced to nearly 12 years in federal prison and was ordered to pay more than $30 million in restitution. And then with that identity theft, they went into dating [scams], explains Dr Adedeji Oyenuga, a cybercrime expert at Lagos State University. In today's society, that's a business," he said. Read about our approach to external linking. "We received calls from our members telling us they were sending money using Bank of Valletta's platform to their foreign suppliers," says Ms Mamo. Damn, Abbas said in a text to a fellow scammer at the time in messages obtained by the FBI. 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. 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].. ", Seye says everyone knows Hushpuppi has committed a crime, but it is understandable: "No-one prays to be poor. Between December 2019 and February 2020, Abbas and a gang of alleged middlemen in Kenya, Nigeria and the US groomed and conned the victim out of more than a million dollars. [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. "Their foreign suppliers did not receive the money We're talking about thousands of euros.". So when you see someone who is rich, you will pray to God to give you his kind of wealth.". Ghaleb Alaumary, 37, of Mississauga in Ontario, Canada, was charged separately. 2023 BBC. 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, Hushpuppis social media is still live and attracting followers. Just days after we put the same question to Snapchat, which deleted Hushpuppis account. TittlePress Available for over a year Hushpuppi also deny money laundering conspiracies, international money laundering and oda crime dem. "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].". During di detention hearing, court for di Northern District of Illinois, USA rule say make di U.S. 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. But the Dubai police said in a Facebook post that the FBI director had thanked them for extraditing the two men. April 26, 2023 Hushpuppi: Notorious Nigerian fraudster jailed for 11 years in US BBCView Full coverage on Google News Sources 1/ by newsdesk. His father was a taxi driver. [17], Upon his arrival in the United States on 3 July 2020, he was accused of conspiring to launder 'hundreds of millions of dollars'. But everyone knew the source of his mysterious wealth cybercrime; he was a Yahoo, Seye says. "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. No comments. 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. I hope someday I will be inspiring more young people to join me on this path, read one Instagram post by Abbas, who pleaded guilty in April 2021 to one count of conspiracy to engage in money laundering. In May 2019, Abbas was tasked with setting up a bank account in Mexico. Despite himpleading guilty in April to money laundering, Hushpuppis social media is still live and attracting followers. His social media posts showed him living a life of luxury, complete with private jets, ultra-expensive cars and high-end clothes and watches. By clicking 'Create Account and Subscribe' you agree to us creating an account for you and 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. S2.3 Hushpuppi. "Damn," Abbas said in a text to a fellow scammer at the time in messages obtained by the FBI. [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. In 2019, he helped launder some $14.7 million stolen by North Korean hackers from a bank in Malta, funneling the money through banks in Romania and Bulgaria, prosecutors said. The scams were to be carried out via Business Email Compromise (BEC). Daddy Freeze latest news on Hushpuppi arrest - Di Nigerian radio broadcaster share im experience 26th June 2020. Many went to Malaysia and Abbas followed them, ending up in Kuala Lumpur around 2014, then Dubai in 2017. According to the FBI, in 2020 BEC fraud resulted in losses of $1.8bn. 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]. [19] The attack was of such seriousness in Malta that then Prime Minister Joseph Muscat was forced to address parliament. [16] Many viewed the song as a prophetic warning that was fulfilled with his arrest. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 25(8), 504-511. It is alleged that Mr Kyari then falsely arrested and detained the middleman for a month in a squalid Nigerian cell. It was to receive 100m from a Premier League Football Club, and 200m from a UK firm. 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. File on 4's Hush Money: The Rise and Fall of an International Fraudster is available on BBC Sounds. And then with that identity theft, they went into dating [scams]," explains Dr Adedeji Oyenuga, a cybercrime expert at Lagos State University. "OMG. The reply shows the next heist was being planned: "Next one is in few weeks; will let you know when it's ready. They're sometimes called 419 scams, after the relevant article in the Nigerian Criminal Code. 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. "We don check wit di FBI agent wey supposedly author di document, and im confam say na fake.". The scam was very sophisticated. Read about our approach to external linking. You can unsubscribe whenever you want. So when you see someone who is rich, you will pray to God to give you his kind of wealth.". We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? They keep finding out.. "The Fall of the Billionaire Gucci Master," retrieved from: BBC News (2021).Hushpuppi: the Instagram influencer and international fraudster, retrieved from: "He flaunted private jets and luxury cars on Instagram. Why you fit trust BBC News; How dem dey take use am; He texted his contact - Nigerian police officer Abba Kyari - saying: "I want him to go through serious beating of his life. "Brother I can't send from UK to Mexico," Abbas's sidekick messaged him. We cannot say with 100% certainty that Hushpuppi is behind it, Mr Almazar says. Why Nigerian cyber fraudsters are 'role models', 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. 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. 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. Naija News recalls Popular internet fraudster, Ramon Abbass also known as Hushpuppi, in an attempt to reduce his jail sentence opened up about his fraudulent career. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. The social media platform told the BBC that it had carried out an investigation into his account - but had decided not to close it. "They came up with the idea of stealing identities. 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 Hushpuppis BEC scams. "They keep finding out.". De external site no concern BBC. 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 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. He has previously denied having any criminal involvement with Abbas - and has not responded to the BBC's requests for comment. Recall that Hushpuppis sentence had been moved three times since getting convicted in 2021. Some of it was laundered via the purchase of a watch worth a staggering $230,000. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. [38][39] A short documentary about the life of Hushpuppi till his arrest has been released by both Bloomberg[40] and BBC Africa.[41]. 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. 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. Is climate change killing Australian wine? The FBI says $1.7bn was lost by individuals and companies in business email compromise scams in 2019 alone. WebThe Latest news in Nigeria and world news. [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. [36] The study argues that this type of linguistic manipulation voiced as public opinion on Twitter denies the sufferings of victims of online fraud. Hushpuppi, Nigerian social media influencer, funded his luxurious lifestyle by cybercrime. Advantageous comparison: using Twitter responses to understand similarities between cybercriminals (Yahoo Boys) and politicians (Yahoo men). The sentencing of confessed internet fraudster, Ramon Abbas, popularly known as Hushpuppi has been shifted by the US Central District Court in California. US Department of Justice dismiss di report on Thursday wen dem react to di viral tori. By clicking "OK" or continuing to use this site, you agree that we may collect and use your personal data and set 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. Too bad they caught on, or it would have been a nice pay out.. But everyone knew the source of his mysterious wealth - cybercrime; he was a "Yahoo", Seye says. It is alleged that Mr Kyari then falsely arrested and detained the middleman for a month in a squalid Nigerian cell. Their foreign suppliers did not receive the money Were talking about thousands of euros.. Dr Oyenuga says Hushpuppis influence endures as he is still regarded as a role model: Were in a country where a lot of young people are suffering. But everyone knew the source of his mysterious wealth - cybercrime; he was a "Yahoo", Seye says. Like many Yahoo Boys, Abbas broadened his criminal horizons. Only a single letter or number will be different. His father was a taxi driver. VideoOn board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry, I didnt think make-up was made for black girls, Why there is serious money in kitchen fumes. [14] 2023 BBC. And now Mr Kyari too is wanted in the US on charges of fraud, money laundering and identity theft. Mr Ponle, the other Nigerian arrested in Dubai and currently in custody in the United States, is also preparing for trial. The social media platform told the BBC that it had carried out an investigation into his account - but had decided not to close it. [22] U.S. authorities also accused him of aiding North Korean hackers in money laundering.[23]. A spokesman for the US [32], On 19 September 2022, Judge Otis Wright delayed Hushpuppi's sentencing to 3 November 2022. cookies to improve your experience and customise advertising. He did not speak again. Between December 2019 and February 2020, Abbas and a gang of alleged middlemen in Kenya, Nigeria and the US groomed and conned the victim out of more than a million dollars. 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. He texted his contact Nigerian police officer Abba Kyari saying: I want him to go through serious beating of his life. "This case targets a key player in a large, transnational conspiracy who was living an opulent lifestyle in another country while allegedly providing safe havens for stolen money around the world," United States Attorney Nick Hanna said in a statement when the charges were announced. 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 suppliers. 2023 BBC. Lazarus, S., & Button, M. (2022). [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. Labour Day, May Day: Wetin e mean and how e start. To view this content choose accept and continue. "But they also have to cover their losses, so right now he doesn't know how he can get back to the UAE. Fashion; by newsdesk. [29] The following day, a US Court granted an FBI warrant to arrest Abba Kyari. It is the latest high-profile fraud case involving a Nigerian national in the United States but his lawyer says the US had no authority to transport him from Dubai. 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. The rise and fall of Hushpuppi the social media influencer and global money-launderer. He texted his contact - Nigerian police officer Abba Kyari - saying: "I want him to go through serious beating of his life. The 37-year-old, who was arrested by the FBI in a Los Angeles raid, has pleaded guilty to money laundering. Ramon Abbas, 40, also was ordered by a federal judge to pay $1.7 million in restitution to two fraud victims, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice. Hushpuppi also deny money laundering conspiracies, international money laundering and oda crime dem. He has spent his life in the UAE. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. Assignment reveals the inside story of Ramon Abbas, one of a new breed of global cyber-fraudsters. When he was allowed 15 minutes in a virtual breakout room to confer with Mr Ponle, he returned to request a new date for the hearing. Professionals were victimised. Some of it was laundered via the purchase of a watch worth a staggering $230,000. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) accuses Mr Abbas, 37, of conspiring to launder hundreds of millions of dollars from frauds known as Business Email Compromise (BEC) and other scams. Breaking news: an unexpected interview. "You'll have to ask them about why they called it an extradition," the US Department of Justice (DoJ) spokesman responded in an email. Experts don bin tell BBC Pidgin say if court find Hushpuppi guilty of di accuse, e fit face maximum prison sentence of nothing less than 20 years for federal prison. LOS ANGELES A Nigerian social media influencer who called himself Ray Hushpuppi and flaunted a lavish lifestyle fueled by his efforts to launder millions of stolen dollars was sentenced Monday in Los Angeles to more than 11 years in federal prison. He used to buy beer for everyone around.. 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 used to buy beer for everyone around.". Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Hushpuppi is currently being held in the United States for financial offences bordering on wire fraud to which he has pleaded guilty and faces a 20-year jail term if convicted. He used to buy beer for everyone around.". One member threatened to blow the whole scam wide open as he was unhappy about the money he was getting. Is climate change killing Australian wine? This article contains content provided by Instagram. Recall that the FBI is prosecuting Ramon Abbas, a.k.a. And now Mr Kyari too is wanted in the US on charges of fraud, money laundering and identity theft. We contacted Instagram to ask why his The Chicago defence lawyer's argument that Hushpuppi was paid by designer brands for promotion has set the stage for what promises to be a long trial in American courts. Mr Almazar says shame prevents many more of Hushpuppis victims coming forward. Get the day's top headlines delivered to your inbox. [18], The affidavit also accused Abbas and a co-conspirator of conspiring to launder funds intended to be stolen through fraudulent wire transfers from a 'foreign financial institution' in which fraudulent wire transfers, totalling approximately US$14.7 million, were sent to bank accounts around the world in February 2019. [7] He claimed to be a real estate developer. He would not want to ruin his credibility and status rather than stay here and face these allegations. His family are still in the UAE. WebThe big boy Hushpuppi was humbled when he was handcuffed just like a petty criminal, his designers and latest cars could do nothing. This is when his Instagram posts and crimes went to another level. Too bad they caught on, or it would have been a nice pay out.". WebIn a final appeal to Judge Otis Wright ahead of his scheduled sentencing on 19 September 2022, Hushpuppi wrote a personal letter to the court narrating his source of wealth, Olalekan Jacob Ponle, known as "Mr Woodbery", flaunted his wealth, On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry. In that email the scammers posing as a supplier awaiting payment typically say theyve switched banks, so the payment will need to be wired to a different account; the details for which they will provide. A fact known all too well by Dubai-based lawyer Barney Almazar. As he grew older, Seye says, Abbas liked to splash his cash: "He was generous. Notorious and disgraced Internet fraudster, Olalekan Jacob Ponle, also "[27], On 28 July 2021, Hushpuppi pleaded guilty to money laundering[28] and also identified a Deputy Commissioner of Police in Nigeria, Abba Kyari, as an accomplice in his $1.1 million scam deal. Read about our approach to external linking. Shopping trolleys filled with goods were abandoned at checkouts as payment systems shut down. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. 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. 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. Once a relationship is established via a false identity, romance scammers wheedle money from their online lovers. 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. At the time, 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. Local driver Seye told the BBC that he remembered Abbas as a young boy working alongside his mother in the Olojojo market. Investigators noted the "substantial wealth" on display on hushpuppi's account, where he poses with supercars, shopping bags and in luxury locations. In May 2019, Abbas was tasked with setting up a bank account in Mexico. An existing account was found for this email address. We don't have an account for this email address. Some are hesitant to admit what has happened.. "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. Listen to the latest episodes of The Lazarus Heist on BBC Sounds. 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. One member threatened to blow the whole scam wide open as he was unhappy about the money he was getting. As he grew older, Seye says, Abbas liked to splash his cash: He was generous. Forgot your password? For pretrial, Ramon Abass aka Hushpuppi don bin plead not guilty to di four counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. [35] A recent study demonstrates that many people on Twitter trivialize the fraudulent actions of online fraudsters such as Hushpuppi. [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. But some believe the actual total could be much higher.