[36] By implication, if what was once morally condemnable becomes a source of valuation, it becomes a source of valuation in its consequences in society. [36] The study argues that this type of linguistic manipulation voiced as public opinion on Twitter denies the sufferings of victims of online fraud. 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. 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]. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Yahoo Boys are romance scammers who took their name from the first free email available in Nigeria. "They keep finding out.". November 8, 2022. The Guardian Nigeria Newspaper brings you the latest headlines, opinions, political news, business reports and international news. Please click 'Sign in and Subscribe' to continue. 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. It was to receive 100m from a Premier League Football Club, and 200m from a UK firm. 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. 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. He would not want to ruin his credibility and status rather than stay here and face these allegations. 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.
BBC 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. As he grew older, Seye says, Abbas liked to splash his cash: He was generous.
NewsNow: Hushpuppi news | Breaking News & Search 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. Ghaleb Alaumary, 37, of Mississauga in Ontario, Canada, was charged separately. "His clients understand that he was victimised," Mr Almazar explains. Once a relationship is established via a false identity, romance scammers wheedle money from their online lovers. To see how, and to learn how to control cookies, [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. Investigators noted the "substantial wealth" on display on hushpuppi's account, where he poses with supercars, shopping bags and in luxury locations. We contacted Instagram to ask why his account was still open. WebThe Latest news in Nigeria and world news. [38][39] A short documentary about the life of Hushpuppi till his arrest has been released by both Bloomberg[40] and BBC Africa.[41]. 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. Read about our approach to external linking.
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. During di detention hearing, court for di Northern District of Illinois, USA rule say make di U.S. "I have seen parents who have taken their children to learn how to become Yahoo Boys. "They keep finding out.". Social media influencer Hushpuppi sentenced to 11 years in prison over money laundering conspiracy. "[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. The U. S. Central District Court in California has again postponed the sentencing of a Nigerian Instagram celebrity, 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. 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. We received calls from our members telling us they were sending money using Bank of Vallettas platform to their foreign suppliers, says Ms Mamo. We contacted Instagram to ask why his You can unsubscribe whenever you want. They see another young person who was once like them become that great. S2.3 Hushpuppi. The 37-year-old, who was arrested by the FBI in a Los Angeles raid, has pleaded guilty to money laundering. WebThe big boy Hushpuppi was humbled when he was handcuffed just like a petty criminal, his designers and latest cars could do nothing. Many went to Malaysia - and Abbas followed them, ending up in Kuala Lumpur around 2014, then Dubai in 2017. "We don check wit di FBI agent wey supposedly author di document, and im confam say na fake.". They came up with the idea of stealing identities. According to the FBI, in 2020 BEC fraud resulted in losses of $1.8bn. Hushpuppi is believed to have defrauded his victims, including a Qatari businessman and English football club, to the tune of $24 million. 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. 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. [32], On 19 September 2022, Judge Otis Wright delayed Hushpuppi's sentencing to 3 November 2022. 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. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? [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. [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.
Fall of an International Fraudster "The scam was very sophisticated. Forgot your password? But some believe the actual total could be much higher. 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. This article contains content provided by Instagram. "[3] Prosecutors cited his "significant" financial assets, "deep ties to foreign countries" and a lack of ties to the United States. One member threatened to blow the whole scam wide open as he was unhappy about the money he was getting. 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. 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.. And now Mr Kyari too is wanted in the US on charges of fraud, money laundering and identity theft. "They came up with the idea of stealing identities. His family are still in the UAE. Hushpuppi, Nigerian social media influencer, funded his luxurious lifestyle by cybercrime. BEC fraud is a huge issue across the world. But some believe the actual total could be much higher. The rise and fall of Hushpuppi the social media influencer and global money-launderer. This Instagram post cannot be displayed in your browser. "I want to spend money to send this boy to jail, let him go for a very long time.". "[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. So when you see someone who is rich, you will pray to God to give you his kind of wealth.". 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. 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. Ramon Abbas - known to his 2.5 million Instagram followers as Hushpuppi - is considered by the FBI to be one of the 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. "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].". "If Dubai wanted to expel him, they should have expelled him back to Nigeria. Is climate change killing Australian wine? The complaint against him says one Chicago-based company "was defrauded into sending wire transfers totalling $15.2m". Premium Times (November 2022). 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. 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Where Is Hushpuppi? He texted his contact - Nigerian police officer Abba Kyari - saying: "I want him to go through serious beating of his life. 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Hushpuppi Court documents allege Abbas's crimes cost victims almost $24m in total. We are sorry, but the email address you entered does not appear to be valid. He texted his contact Nigerian police officer Abba Kyari saying: I want him to go through serious beating of his life. The scams were to be carried out via Business Email Compromise (BEC). The scams were to be carried out via Business Email Compromise (BEC). "You'll have to ask them about why they called it an extradition," the US Department of Justice (DoJ) spokesman responded in an email. TittlePress 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. 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. 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. 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. His father was a taxi driver. Just days after we put the same question to Snapchat, which deleted Hushpuppi's account. All rights reserved. grassroots elite basketball ; why does ted lasso have a southern accent . ;
Hushpuppi Fashion; by newsdesk. 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 has spent his life in the UAE. 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. US Department of Justice dismiss di report on Thursday wen dem react to di viral tori. You may want to read Metas Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. Professionals were victimised. He is not a citizen of the United States, the US had absolutely no authority to take him," his lawyer says. Marshals Service transport Hushpuppi to Los Angeles wia im trial go start. A fact known all too well by Dubai-based lawyer Barney Almazar. The United Arab Emirates has no extradition treaty with the United States but Dubai police said they had been extradited to the US. 3.The truly fascinating story of Doris Payne, aka "Diamond Doris," a 91-year-old jewel thief who used 22 aliases while stealing millions of dollars worth of jewelry from around the world and was arrested more than 20 times in countries like Greece, France, England, and Switzerland over the course of six decades. Local driver Seye told the BBC that he remembered Abbas as a young boy working alongside his mother in the Olojojo market.