Local driver Seye told the BBC that he remembered Abbas as a young boy working alongside his mother in the Olojojo market. 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. They came up with the idea of stealing identities. "Mr Ponle, are you there?" Is climate change killing Australian wine? The bank did not respond to a request for comment. Hushpuppi: the Instagram influencer and international Neither are named in the court documents. [38][39] A short documentary about the life of Hushpuppi till his arrest has been released by both Bloomberg[40] and BBC Africa.[41]. In May 2019, Abbas was tasked with setting up a bank account in Mexico. 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. Assignment reveals the inside story of Ramon Abbas, one of a new breed of global cyber-fraudsters. EXCLUSIVE: Again, U. S. court postpones sentencing of Many went to Malaysia - and Abbas followed them, ending up in Kuala Lumpur around 2014, then Dubai in 2017. An individual may contact you via e-mail, explaining he needs help to transfer money, Will tell you that political turmoil or a natural disaster makes it difficult for him to make the transfer, Will ask you to give him your financial details so that he can transfer the money into your account, This allows him to access and steal from your account, Be careful what you post on social media and dating sites as scammers use the details to better understand you and target you. NewsNow: Hushpuppi news | Breaking News & Search Hushpuppi A fact known all too well by Dubai-based lawyer Barney Almazar. 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. "We cannot say with 100% certainty that Hushpuppi is behind it," Mr Almazar says. charges Instagram celebrity Ray Hushpuppi in Prosecutors said Abbas and a Canadian man laundered money from various online crimes including bank cyberheists and business email compromise, or BEC, a prolific crime in which crooks hack into email accounts, pretend to be someone theyre not and fool victims into wiring money where it doesnt belong. Lazarus, S., Button, M., & Adogame, A. I have seen parents who have taken their children to learn how to become Yahoo Boys., Seye says everyone knows Hushpuppi has committed a crime, but it is understandable: No-one prays to be poor. [29] The following day, a US Court granted an FBI warrant to arrest Abba Kyari. Once a relationship is established via a false identity, romance scammers wheedle money from their online lovers. The reply shows the next heist was being planned: "Next one is in few weeks; will let you know when it's ready. 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. He also helped launder millions of pounds stolen from a British company and a professional soccer club in the United Kingdom, got a New York-based law firm to transfer nearly $923,000 to a criminal account and acknowledged in a plea agreement that he helped defraud someone in Qatar who sought a $15 million loan to build a school, federal prosecutors said. He used to buy beer for everyone around.". But some believe the actual total could be much higher. Wia dis foto come from, Twitter/@USAO_LosAngeles. He is a celebrity. Copyright 1997 - 2023 NewsNow Publishing Limited. BEC fraud is a huge issue across the world. 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. This is when his Instagram posts and crimes went to another level. Please ensure your password has at least 8 characters, an uppercase and a lowercase letter, and a number or symbol. Read about our approach to external linking. Is climate change killing Australian wine? De way wey we de take go external link. [37] The study concludes that colonial legacies contributed to the North-South divide regarding online fraud patterns in Nigeria. Most cyber-criminals remain nameless, faceless, anonymous and all but untraceable. his efforts to launder millions of stolen dollars. "The scam was very sophisticated. 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. "Damn," Abbas said in a text to a fellow scammer at the time in messages obtained by the FBI. Damn, Abbas said in a text to a fellow scammer at the time in messages obtained by the FBI. And now Mr Kyari too is wanted in the US on charges of fraud, money laundering and identity theft. [15], He is the subject of a 2017 song "Telli Person" by Nigerian singer Timaya featuring Olamide and Phyno, with whom he had a long-running feud. 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. BBC For pretrial, Ramon Abass aka Hushpuppi don bin plead not guilty to di four counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. [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. 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. "[12], Many news platforms have reported that Abbas was once a second-hand clothes seller in Lagos. [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. Hushpuppi He refused to discuss how he was getting paid for legal fees or the source of Hushpuppi's money. Abba Kyari, who has a reputation in Nigeria as a "super cop", has been suspended and is wanted in the US, I have seen parents who have taken their children to learn how to become Yahoo Boys", On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry. It was to receive 100m from a Premier League Football Club, and 200m from a UK firm. News 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. Hushpuppi is believed to have defrauded his victims, including a Qatari businessman and English football club, to the tune of $24 million. According to court documents in California, he has cost victims 17m in total. 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.". He has previously denied having any criminal involvement with Abbas and has not responded to the BBCs requests for comment. We contacted Instagram to ask why his 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]. Antoine Verglas Opens Up About His Journey To Becoming A Fashion Photographer. He was sentenced to nearly 12 years in federal prison and was ordered to pay more than $30 million in restitution. US Department of Justice dismiss di report on Thursday wen dem react to di viral tori. 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. Hushpuppi News | Latest News About Hushpuppi on Naija News "Yes, please," he replied, subdued. The sentencing of confessed internet fraudster, Ramon Abbas, popularly known as Hushpuppi has been shifted by the US Central District Court in California. The Latest. Jon Shilland, fraud lead with the UK's National Crime Agency, says it can be difficult tracking down criminal networks based in multiple jurisdictions. S2.3 Hushpuppi A social media influencer is laundering cash for the hackers to fund his luxury lifestyle 39 mins 27 Mar 2023 S2.2 Big Boss The hackers turn to the dark web. He is accused of converting some of the proceeds into a Bitcoin digital wallet, effectively ensuring that they could not be traced. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. The Judge had initially rejected the plea of the defendant's motion for a delay of judgement. Daddy Freeze latest news on Hushpuppi arrest - Di Nigerian radio broadcaster share im experience 26th June 2020. 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. "Damn," Abbas said in a text to a fellow scammer at the time in messages obtained by the FBI. 2023 BBC. Despite him pleading guilty in April to money laundering, Hushpuppis social media is still live and attracting followers. 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This is when his Instagram posts - and crimes - went to another level. "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. Huspuppi go get court sentencing for dis charges on 11 July, 2022. "Authorities say, Ramon Abbas, aka Hushpuppi, perfected a simple internet scam and laundered millions of dollars. Some of it was laundered via the purchase of a watch worth a staggering $230,000. 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. It stated that Hushpuppi risks 20 years imprisonment; a 3-year period of supervised release; a fine of $500,000 or twice the gross gain or gross loss resulting from the offence. [7] He claimed to be a real estate developer. 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. 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. And then with that identity theft, they went into dating [scams]," explains Dr Adedeji Oyenuga, a cybercrime expert at Lagos State University. Abigail Mamo, chief executive of the Maltese chamber of small and medium enterprises, says the heist plunged the holiday island into "chaos". grassroots elite basketball ; why does ted lasso have a southern accent . ; A fact known all too well by Dubai-based lawyer Barney Almazar. "They keep finding out.". 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. He has previously denied having any criminal involvement with Abbas - and has not responded to the BBC's requests for comment. As he grew older, Seye says, Abbas liked to splash his cash: "He was generous. You may want to read Metas Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. He did not speak again. None of the Premiership clubs would confirm whether or not they were the intended victim. Jon Shilland, fraud lead with the UKs National Crime Agency, says it can be difficult tracking down criminal networks based in multiple jurisdictions. 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. Tweets and reactions: revealing the geographies of cybercrime perpetrators and the North-South divide. They see another young person who was once like them become that great. 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. 0. 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. We will not share your email address with any third parties. 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. The complaint against him says one Chicago-based company "was defrauded into sending wire transfers totalling $15.2m". Like many Yahoo Boys, Abbas broadened his criminal horizons. His family are still in the UAE. According to the FBI, in 2020 BEC fraud resulted in losses of $1.8bn. Hushpuppi Hushpuppi: the Instagram influencer and international fraudster - BBC Africa BBC News Africa 1.12M subscribers Subscribe 9.2K 984K views 1 year ago NIGERIA Hushpuppi's lawyer says FBI 'kidnapped' Nigerian 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. That is the real story here.". By Helen Clifton & Princess Abumere. (2022). Fall of an International Fraudster Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? Neither are named in the court documents. Despite him pleading guilty in April to money laundering, Hushpuppi's social media is still live and attracting followers. 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. He texted his contact - Nigerian police officer Abba Kyari - saying: "I want him to go through serious beating of his life. 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. [34], Public opinion on social media offers opportunities to explore contestations between diverse viewpoints. Di Nigerian Instagram celebrity dey US to face charges on top accuse say im conspire to launder Hundreds of Millions of Dollars from business email. 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. "They keep finding out.". You can unsubscribe whenever you want. Don't miss out! Recall that Hushpuppis sentence had been moved three times since getting convicted in 2021. 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. Hushpuppi - the Instagram influencer and international 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. [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. [20][21] According to the affidavit Abbas had provided a co-conspirator with two bank accounts in Europe anticipating the receipt of $5.6 million each of the fraudulently obtained funds. "We cannot say with 100% certainty that Hushpuppi is behind it," Mr Almazar says. The Latest. They see another young person who was once like them become that great. You may want to read Metas Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. Once a relationship is established via a false identity, romance scammers wheedle money from their online lovers. Director of Media Relations, United States Attorney's Office, Central District of California Mrozek Thom tell BBC Pidgin say di tori no dey true. Some are hesitant to admit what has happened.. murders, a place with a murky past. [8] He also holds a passport from St Kitts and Nevis, which was fraudulently obtained through a sham marriage to a St. Kitts and Nevis citizen. 40 mins; Shopping trolleys filled with goods were abandoned at checkouts as payment systems shut down. "I really don't have any comment right now, I have to learn the facts about this case," he told the BBC. "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. De external site no concern BBC. "Brother I can't send from UK to Mexico," Abbas's sidekick messaged him. Too bad they caught on, or it would have been a nice pay out.. 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. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? Abigail Mamo, chief executive of the Maltese chamber of small and medium enterprises, says the heist plunged the holiday island into chaos. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. BBC 2023 BBC. [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. It was to receive 100m from a Premier League Football Club, and 200m from a UK firm. "His clients understand that he was victimised," Mr Almazar explains. A fact known all too well by Dubai-based lawyer Barney Almazar. A request for his bail and the chance to stay with his girlfriend's uncle in Homewood, Illinois, was denied on the grounds that he presented a risk of non-appearance. We contacted Instagram to ask why his account was still open.