This Instagram post cannot be displayed in your browser. Is climate change killing Australian wine? He used to buy beer for everyone around.". Assignment reveals the inside story of Ramon Abbas, one of a new breed of global cyber-fraudsters. A fact known all too well by Dubai-based lawyer Barney Almazar. By his own admission, during just an 18-month period defendant conspired to launder over $300 million, prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum, although they said much of the intended loss did not ultimately materialize.. Hushpuppi alleges bribing DCP Abba Kyari to arrest co-fraudster in $1.1m scam By Motunrayo on Thursday, July 29, 2021 Hushpuppi, the embattled Nigerian socialite, alleged that he bribed Abba Kyari, a deputy commissioner of police (DCP), to arrest a co-fraudster, according to US court documents. 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. "We cannot say with 100% certainty that Hushpuppi is behind it," Mr Almazar says. "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. They're sometimes called 419 scams, after the relevant article in the Nigerian Criminal Code. Court documents allege Abbas's crimes cost victims almost $24m in total. Breaking news: an unexpected interview. 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. An existing account was found for this email address. You can unsubscribe whenever you want. This Instagram post cannot be displayed in your browser. "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. His clients understand that he was victimised, Mr Almazar explains. Latest News . "Damn," Abbas said in a text to a fellow scammer at the time in messages obtained by the FBI. 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. Ramon Olorunwa Abbas aka Hushpuppi reported $400,000 fraud inside US prison no be true. 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. You may want to read Metas Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. Marshals Service transport Hushpuppi to Los Angeles wia im trial go start. But soon, the cracks between the gang started to show. The bank did not respond to a request for comment. One member threatened to blow the whole scam wide open as he was unhappy about the money he was getting. 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. US Department of Justice dismiss di report on Thursday wen dem react to di viral tori. Abigail Mamo, chief executive of the Maltese chamber of small and medium enterprises, says the heist plunged the holiday island into "chaos". I want to spend money to send this boy to jail, let him go for a very long time.. 0. Mr Ponle, 29, ran the "Mr Woodberry" Instagram account but the FBI says he used the alias "Mark Kain" in emails. Read about our approach to external linking. Hushpuppi also deny money laundering conspiracies, international money laundering and oda crime dem. We contacted Instagram to ask why his account was still open. But some believe the actual total could be much higher. Sign up for a FREE NewsNow account and get our email alert of the day's top stories from the UK and around the world. As he grew older, Seye says, Abbas liked to splash his cash: "He was generous. The 37-year-old began his career in Oworonshoki, a poor coastal area in the north-east of Lagos, Nigeria's commercial capital. 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. The rise and fall of Hushpuppi the social media influencer and global money-launderer. The bank said it managed to recover 10m euros. Sorry, no headlines or news topics were found. We received calls from our members telling us they were sending money using Bank of Vallettas platform to their foreign suppliers, says Ms Mamo. 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. [22] U.S. authorities also accused him of aiding North Korean hackers in money laundering.[23]. But everyone knew the source of his mysterious wealth cybercrime; he was a Yahoo, Seye says. Only a single letter or number will be different. Despite him pleading guilty in April to money laundering, Hushpuppi's social media is still live and attracting followers. Many went to Malaysia - and Abbas followed them, ending up in Kuala Lumpur around 2014, then Dubai in 2017. [14] He texted his contact Nigerian police officer Abba Kyari saying: I want him to go through serious beating of his life. 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. To view this content choose accept and continue. Most cyber-criminals remain nameless, faceless, anonymous and all but untraceable. 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. 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. We are sorry, but the email address you entered does not appear to be valid. Brother I cant send from UK to Mexico, Abbass sidekick messaged him. 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. 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. But the Premiership scam fell apart when the UK banks refused to pay into the Mexican account. Neither are named in the court documents. Notorious and disgraced Internet fraudster, Olalekan Jacob Ponle, also Is climate change killing Australian wine? Wia dis foto come from, Twitter/@USAO_LosAngeles. "OMG. According to the FBI, in 2020 BEC fraud resulted in losses of $1.8bn. Abigail Mamo, chief executive of the Maltese chamber of small and medium enterprises, says the heist plunged the holiday island into "chaos". In today's society, that's a business," he said. "They came up with the idea of stealing identities. 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. It is alleged that Mr Kyari then falsely arrested and detained the middleman for a month in a squalid Nigerian cell. According to court documents in California, he has cost victims 17m in total. "The scam was very sophisticated. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. The FBI says $1.7bn was lost by individuals and companies in business email compromise scams in 2019 alone. [30] The Police chief was further implicated after his conversation with Hushpuppi was released. BEC fraud is a huge issue across the world. The bank said it managed to recover 10m euros. The scams were to be carried out via Business Email Compromise (BEC). 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. One member threatened to blow the whole scam wide open as he was unhappy about the money he was getting. Click here to sign-in and subscribe via a link sent to your email. "Brother I can't send from UK to Mexico," Abbas's sidekick messaged him. 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. 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. 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. Too bad they caught on, or it would have been a nice pay out.". A fact known all too well by Dubai-based lawyer Barney Almazar. 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. Antoine Verglas Opens Up About His Journey To Becoming A Fashion Photographer. a court deputy asked on Thursday when he dialled into the hearing from federal prison. 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. They see another young person who was once like them become that great. And now Mr Kyari too is wanted in the US on charges of fraud, money laundering and identity theft. De external site no concern BBC. I've never heard of anything like that. [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. Ray Hushpuppi was already popular on Instagram for his luxurious lifestyle documented exhaustively on his page but he has gained another 100,000 followers since his dramatic arrest. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. His family are still in the UAE. [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. Advantageous comparison: using Twitter responses to understand similarities between cybercriminals (Yahoo Boys) and politicians (Yahoo men). 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 37-year-old began his career in Oworonshoki, a poor coastal area in the north-east of Lagos, Nigeria's commercial capital. Hushpuppi is believed to have defrauded his victims, including a Qatari businessman and English football club, to the tune of $24 million. Abbas was one of the most prolific money launderers in the world, Don Alway, assistant director in charge of the FBIs Los Angeles office, said in the statement. Webfunny ways to say home run grassroots elite basketball Menu . "[36] Creating these phrases is essential linguistic maneuvering, enabling a sharp comparison of the similarities between Hushpuppi, a fraudster, popularly known as an offender, and a prominent authority representative, uncritically seen as a law-abiding citizen. Read about our approach to external linking. Ramon Abbas - known to his 2.5 million Instagram followers as Hushpuppi - is considered by the FBI to be one of the Jon Shilland, fraud lead with the UK's National Crime Agency, says it can be difficult tracking down criminal networks based in multiple jurisdictions. File on 4's Hush Money: The Rise and Fall of an International Fraudster is available on BBC Sounds. WebBreaking news headlines about Hushpuppi, linking to 1,000s of sources around the world, on NewsNow: the one-stop shop for breaking news. 2023 BBC. Read about our approach to external linking. 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. "But they also have to cover their losses, so right now he doesn't know how he can get back to the UAE. November 8, 2022. Antoine Verglas Opens Up About His Journey To Becoming A Fashion Photographer. Professionals were victimised. Please try different keywords. [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. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. It was to receive 100m from a Premier League Football Club, and 200m from a UK firm. Available for over a year ", Seye says everyone knows Hushpuppi has committed a crime, but it is understandable: "No-one prays to be poor. Labour Day, May Day: Wetin e mean and how e start. "Damn," Abbas said in a text to a fellow scammer at the time in messages obtained by the FBI. He used to buy beer for everyone around.. Rapper 50 Cents to Produce Hushpuppi Series, retrieved: Bloomberg (June 2021). One Million Dollars Per Constituency: Middle Belt Dev't Authority commissions three projects. Local driver Seye told the BBC that he remembered Abbas as a young boy working alongside his mother in the Olojojo market. Where Is Hushpuppi? Court documents allege Abbas's crimes cost victims almost $24m in total. Once a relationship is established via a false identity, romance scammers wheedle money from their online lovers. No comments. 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. He is a celebrity. This article contains content provided by Instagram. BBC News, Pidgin. 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. 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. Yahoo Boys are romance scammers who took their name from the first free email available in Nigeria. Fashion; by newsdesk. 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. He has previously denied having any criminal involvement with Abbas - and has not responded to the BBC's requests for comment. please read our, Internet Fraud: U.S. court sets Mr Woodberrys sentencing for July 11, Hushpuppis accomplice pleads guilty to internet fraud; agrees to pay $8 million to victims, Fraud: Hushpuppis partner forfeits choice Dubai properties, to pay $8m, Hushpuppis partner Woodberry to pay $8 million after pleading guilty to fraud. Too bad they caught on, or it would have been a nice pay out.". [37] The study concludes that colonial legacies contributed to the North-South divide regarding online fraud patterns in Nigeria. 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. Premium Times (November 2022). [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. According to the FBI, in 2020 BEC fraud resulted in losses of $1.8bn. "Mr Ponle, are you there?" "We cannot say with 100% certainty that Hushpuppi is behind it," Mr Almazar says. A spokesman for the US Too bad they caught on, or it would have been a nice pay out.. 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. 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 BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. An article in Bloomberg Businessweek details his actions leading to his arrest, incarceration, and a trial on 27 July 2021, in Los Angeles. "[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. Some are hesitant to admit what has happened.". 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. Forgot your password? And then with that identity theft, they went into dating [scams], explains Dr Adedeji Oyenuga, a cybercrime expert at Lagos State University. Heliyon, 8(11), e11142. He did not answer how he ended up in US custody. Webfunny ways to say home run grassroots elite basketball Menu . To view this content choose accept and continue. Why you fit trust BBC News; How dem dey take use am; [9], On the night his apartment at the Palazzo Versace was raided in an operation code-named Fox Hunt 2, Abbas was arrested alongside eleven others in six simultaneous raids. Multiple sources in Malta including Times of Malta and Malta Today also repeated Forbes's claims that Hushpuppi could have been behind the attack. 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. File on 4's Hush Money: The Rise and Fall of an International Fraudster is available on BBC Sounds. BEC fraud is a huge issue across the world. [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. The Guardian Nigeria Newspaper brings you the latest headlines, opinions, political news, business reports and international news. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? Read about our approach to external linking. We will not share your email address with any third parties. [31], In 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, criminal adventure and regrets. Please ensure your password has at least 8 characters, an uppercase and a lowercase letter, and a number or symbol. NDLEA said Abba Kyari, who was suspended for his relationship with fraudster Abass Olorunwa, better known as Hushpuppi, is a member of an international drug cartel "With the intelligence at our disposal, the Agency Like many Yahoo Boys, Abbas broadened his criminal horizons. 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. Some are hesitant to admit what has happened.. Social media influencer Hushpuppi sentenced to 11 years in prison over money laundering conspiracy. 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. "I want to spend money to send this boy to jail, let him go for a very long time.". "I have seen parents who have taken their children to learn how to become Yahoo Boys. 40 mins; Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. "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].". Mr Ponle, the other Nigerian arrested in Dubai and currently in custody in the United States, is also preparing for trial. "I have seen parents who have taken their children to learn how to become Yahoo Boys. 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. This is when his Instagram posts and crimes went to another level. IE 11 is not supported. 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. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. 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. Shopping trolleys filled with goods were abandoned at checkouts as payment systems shut down. "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. Show more Download Choose your file Higher quality (128kbps) [13] Abbas prided himself on his humble beginnings. Read about our approach to external linking. Hushpuppi also deny money laundering conspiracies, international money laundering and oda crime dem. 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. 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. Ramon Olorunwa Abbas - known to his 2.5 million Instagram followers as Ray Hushpuppi - and another cyber-heist suspect Olalekan Jacob Ponle (aka Mr Woodberry) were arrested in Dubai, where they lived, in June. 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. "I really don't have any comment right now, I have to learn the facts about this case," he told the BBC. Hushpuppi, Nigerian social media influencer, funded his luxurious lifestyle by cybercrime. TittlePress Na U.S. law firm, one foreign bank and one English Premier League club be im target. Mr Almazar says shame prevents many more of Hushpuppi's victims coming forward. 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 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. The bank said it managed to recover 10m euros. "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. [32], On 19 September 2022, Judge Otis Wright delayed Hushpuppi's sentencing to 3 November 2022. None of the Premiership clubs would confirm whether or not they were the intended victim. The complaint against him says one Chicago-based company "was defrauded into sending wire transfers totalling $15.2m". [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. See all episodes from The Documentary Podcast, A window into our world - investigating, exploring and telling stories from everywhere. You can unsubscribe whenever you want. "There was no extradition, there were no legal steps taken, there were no court documents filed, it was simply a call to the FBI. 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.
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