hushpuppi latest news bbc
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. You can unsubscribe whenever you want. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. "But they also have to cover their losses, so right now he doesn't know how he can get back to the UAE. As he grew older, Seye says, Abbas liked to splash his cash: "He was generous. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? (2022). 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. murders, a place with a murky past. 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. Some are hesitant to admit what has happened.". 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. None of the Premiership clubs would confirm whether or not they were the intended victim. But everyone knew the source of his mysterious wealth - cybercrime; he was a "Yahoo", Seye says. 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. 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. 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 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. Hushpuppi Read about our approach to external linking. [10][11][12] The arrest was part of an FBI investigation that indicted him as being a "key player" in a transnational cybercrime network that provided "safe havens for stolen money around the world. The social media platform told the BBC that it had carried out an investigation into his account but had decided not to close it. Once a relationship is established via a false identity, romance scammers wheedle money from their online lovers. 2023 BBC. As he grew older, Seye says, Abbas liked to splash his cash: He was generous. 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. 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. They see another young person who was once like them become that great. Just days after we put the same question to Snapchat, which deleted Hushpuppis account. In today's society, that's a business," he said. hushpuppi Where Is Hushpuppi? Neither are named in the court documents. 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. S2.3 Hushpuppi. [19] The attack was of such seriousness in Malta that then Prime Minister Joseph Muscat was forced to address parliament. One member threatened to blow the whole scam wide open as he was unhappy about the money he was getting. 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. The scams were to be carried out via Business Email Compromise (BEC). "They keep finding out.". A spokesman for the US But everyone knew the source of his mysterious wealth - cybercrime; he was a "Yahoo", Seye says. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Please ensure your password has at least 8 characters, an uppercase and a lowercase letter, and a number or symbol. 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. 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. "Brother I can't send from UK to Mexico," Abbas's sidekick messaged him. According to the FBI, in 2020 BEC fraud resulted in losses of $1.8bn. A United States District Court in California has fixed July 27 as new date for the trial of the Nigerian Instagram celebrity facing fraud charges, Ramon Abass, also The scam was very sophisticated. [14] 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. [37] Specifically, the study showed that the criminalization of people indigenous to southern Nigeria, such as Hushpuppi, differs substantially from that of Northerners, suggesting that more Southerners are more implicated in internet fraud than Northerners. He is facing charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Copyright 1997 - 2023 NewsNow Publishing Limited. But Hushpuppi's lawyer says his client earned his money by monetising his large social media presence. Little did they know that his lavish lifestyle was funded through a complex web of cyber-heists. 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. "Mr Ponle, are you there?" "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. In a statement about Mr Abbas' initial court appearance, the DoJ said "FBI special agents earlier this week obtained custody of Abbas and brought him to the United States" without giving any further details. The scams were to be carried out via Business Email Compromise (BEC). Hushpuppi Court documents allege Abbass crimes cost victims almost $24m in total. 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. Tori bin dey circulate for local media say di Instagram celebrity bin receive fresh charges. 13.The story of Ramon Abbas, aka Hushpuppi, a popular Instagram influencer from Nigeria who became "one of the most prolific money launderers in the world," according to the FBI. 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. Read about our approach to external linking. 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. 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. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 25(8), 504-511. It did not name the institution by name but a bank in Malta reported losing the same sum to hackers that same month. Hushpuppi is believed to have defrauded his victims, including a Qatari businessman and English football club, to the tune of $24 million. A Nigerian man accused of multimillion-dollar fraud and money laundering by the United States was kidnapped by the FBI from Dubai, his lawyer says. Many went to Malaysia - and Abbas followed them, ending up in Kuala Lumpur around 2014, then Dubai in 2017. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. "We cannot say with 100% certainty that Hushpuppi is behind it," Mr Almazar says. "But if you look at the bank accounts that police have traced, they all belong to the records obtained by the police in their raids [on Hushpuppi's home in Dubai]." He refused to discuss how he was getting paid for legal fees or the source of Hushpuppi's money. Hushpuppi, Nigerian social media influencer, funded his luxurious lifestyle by cybercrime. Most cyber-criminals remain nameless, faceless, anonymous and all but untraceable. Neither are named in the court documents. charges Instagram celebrity Ray Hushpuppi in The 37-year-old began his career in Oworonshoki, a poor coastal area in the north-east of Lagos, Nigerias commercial capital. The sentencing of confessed internet fraudster, Ramon Abbas, popularly known as Hushpuppi has been shifted by the US Central District Court in California. And then with that identity theft, they went into dating [scams]," explains Dr Adedeji Oyenuga, a cybercrime expert at Lagos State University. Get the day's top headlines delivered to your inbox. Mr Pissetzky admits that he is not "100% familiar" with social media and his children consider him too old but he knows "that's how people make money today". In May 2019, Abbas was tasked with setting up a bank account in Mexico. To view this content choose accept and continue. We are sorry, but the email address you entered does not appear to be valid. WebBreaking news headlines about Hushpuppi, linking to 1,000s of sources around the world, on NewsNow: the one-stop shop for breaking news. Mr Ponle, the other Nigerian arrested in Dubai and currently in custody in the United States, is also preparing for trial. 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. 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. "I have seen parents who have taken their children to learn how to become Yahoo Boys. [13] Abbas prided himself on his humble beginnings. Wia dis foto come from, Instagram/@hushpuppi. His family are still in the UAE. "The scam was very sophisticated. Sorry, no headlines or news topics were found. Di social media influencer don dey detention for almost two years now. He has previously denied having any criminal involvement with Abbas and has not responded to the BBCs requests for comment. The bank said it managed to recover 10m euros. 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.". He has spent his life in the UAE. [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. 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.
