Antoine Verglas Opens Up About His Journey To Becoming A Fashion Photographer. Hushpuppi The 37-year-old began his career in Oworonshoki, a poor coastal area in the north-east of Lagos, Nigeria's commercial capital. And then with that identity theft, they went into dating [scams]," explains Dr Adedeji Oyenuga, a cybercrime expert at Lagos State University. charges Instagram celebrity Ray Hushpuppi in Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? "But they also have to cover their losses, so right now he doesn't know how he can get back to the UAE. BEC fraud is a huge issue across the world. De way wey we de take go external link. He pleaded guilty in 2020 to one count of conspiracy to engage in money laundering, prosecutors said. 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. [32], On 19 September 2022, Judge Otis Wright delayed Hushpuppi's sentencing to 3 November 2022. [36] The study argues that this type of linguistic manipulation voiced as public opinion on Twitter denies the sufferings of victims of online fraud. BBC News Ramon Abbas, 40, also was ordered by a federal judge to The 37-year-old began his career in Oworonshoki, a poor coastal area in the north-east of Lagos, Nigerias commercial capital. [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. Court documents allege Abbas's crimes cost victims almost $24m in total. 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. In May 2019, Abbas was tasked with setting up a bank account in Mexico. BBC News [16] Many viewed the song as a prophetic warning that was fulfilled with his arrest. 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To see how, and to learn how to control cookies, Is climate change killing Australian wine? Available for over a year 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. Professionals were victimised. It is alleged that Mr Kyari then falsely arrested and detained the middleman for a month in a squalid Nigerian cell. They see another young person who was once like them become that great. 2023 BBC. 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. Fall of an International Fraudster But some believe the actual total could be much higher. He is not a citizen of the United States, the US had absolutely no authority to take him," his lawyer says. The Guardian Nigeria Newspaper brings you the latest headlines, opinions, political news, business reports and international news. He was sentenced to nearly 12 years in federal prison and was ordered to pay more than $30 million in restitution. NewsNow: Hushpuppi news | Breaking News & Search We live in a world that loves youth and beauty and is afraid of But the Premiership scam fell apart when the UK banks refused to pay into the Mexican account. A fact known all too well by Dubai-based lawyer Barney Almazar. Multiple sources in Malta including Times of Malta and Malta Today also repeated Forbes's claims that Hushpuppi could have been behind the attack. EXCLUSIVE: Again, U. S. court postpones sentencing of But soon, the cracks between the gang started to show. 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. 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. The purported messages allege that Hushpuppi paid 8m naira ($19,000; 14,000) into accounts linked to the Nigerian police whose details were provided by Mr Kyari, to detain Mr Chibuzor. Hushpuppi Olalekan Jacob Ponle, known as "Mr Woodbery", flaunted his wealth, On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry. Hushpuppi [7] He claimed to be a real estate developer. "We cannot say with 100% certainty that Hushpuppi is behind it," Mr Almazar says. Adele Paramountcy: Chiefs in Oti Region appeal for traditional council as they bury late leader. 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. 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 Cost of ready meals, coffee and tinned goods surge as food inflation hit record high, Food prices soar to record high with coffee and ready meal costs hit, Devoted father dies after becoming trapped at rock climbing centre, Man dies after being stuck inside indoor cave, The Princess of Wales gets behind the lens for Princess Charlotte's birthday photo, British royals release photo of a beaming Princess Charlotte, Starmer confident Sue Gray did not break rules over Labour role, Live Politics latest news: Sue Gray hasn't broken any rules, insists Sir Keir Starmer, Keir Starmer says Labour will abandon pledge to scrap tuition fees, Free university tuition promise to be dropped by Labour, Sir Keir Starmer confirms, Israeli attack puts Syria's Aleppo airport out of service, one soldier killed, Israeli strikes kill soldier, put Aleppo airport out of service: state media, Palestinian prisoner Khader Adnan dies in Israeli prison after 87 days of hunger strike, Palestinian prisoner dies in Israeli custody after months-long hunger strike, 'Quite scary': Godfather of AI warns about its powers as he quits Google, Geoffrey Hinton, godfather of AI, quits Google to warn of techs profound risks, Japans Fumio Kishida to visit South Korea, in first such trip since 2018, Japan PM Kishida to visit South Korea, meet Yoon on Sunday, Hollywood writers announce major strike over workers rights, Hollywood writers to strike as streaming shift upends TV business, The government is reportedly close to offering NHS staff a 5% pay rise, The US believes that more than 20,000 Russians have died in the battle for the Ukrainian city Bakhmut, Food inflation in the UK hit another record high in April, More than 100 police officers have been injured after May Day protests in France turned violent, Pictures and outfits from the 2023 Met Gala as the star-studded event honoured the late Karl Lagerfeld, A record crowd for a women's club game in England saw Champions League last four drama at Arsenal, Forgot your password? Despite him pleading guilty in April to money laundering, Hushpuppi's social media is still live and attracting followers. Some of it was laundered via the purchase of a watch worth a staggering $230,000. In the last 7 days. He is a celebrity. Hushpuppi latest news: US justice department dismiss Hushpuppi $400 fraud in prison tori 17 March 2022 Instagram/@hushpuppi Ramon Olorunwa Abbas aka 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. his efforts to launder millions of stolen dollars. BEC fraud is a huge issue across the world. He used to buy beer for everyone around.. Notorious and disgraced Internet fraudster, Olalekan Jacob Ponle, also known as Woodberry, has pleaded guilty to internet fraud. "OMG. Local driver Seye told the BBC that he remembered Abbas as a young boy working alongside his mother in the Olojojo market. 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. 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. 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 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. Don't miss out! The scams were to be carried out via Business Email Compromise (BEC). Advantageous comparison: using Twitter responses to understand similarities between cybercriminals (Yahoo Boys) and politicians (Yahoo men). Instagram Influencer, Nigerian Scammer Indicted for Stealing Over $1.1 Million Cardinal News News Ticker Male, Age 30, Accused of Stabbing, Killing His Mother in House They Shared in South Elgin CRIME BLOG C 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. BBC News, Pidgin. He has spent his life in the UAE. You can unsubscribe whenever you want. 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. Read about our approach to external linking. grassroots elite basketball ; why does ted lasso have a southern accent . ; 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. 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. The U. S. Central District Court in California has again postponed the sentencing of a Nigerian Instagram celebrity, Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. One member threatened to blow the whole scam wide open as he was unhappy about the money he was getting. [17], Upon his arrival in the United States on 3 July 2020, he was accused of conspiring to launder 'hundreds of millions of dollars'. He fears that he might get apprehended at immigration immediately.". [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. File on 4's Hush Money: The Rise and Fall of an International Fraudster is available on BBC Sounds. We don't have an account for this email address. But Hushpuppi's lawyer says his client earned his money by monetising his large social media presence. He refused to discuss how he was getting paid for legal fees or the source of Hushpuppi's money. Heliyon, 8(11), e11142. Tori bin dey circulate for local media say di Instagram celebrity bin receive fresh charges. 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]. "Yes, please," he replied, subdued. Copyright 1997 - 2023 NewsNow Publishing Limited. 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. None of the Premiership clubs would confirm whether or not they were the intended victim. "[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. Too bad they caught on, or it would have been a nice pay out.. Mr Almazar says shame prevents many more of Hushpuppi's victims coming forward. Latest News . Sorry, no headlines or news topics were found. The Rise and Fall of an International Fraudster - BBC And now Mr Kyari too is wanted in the US on charges of fraud, money laundering and identity theft. Just days after we put the same question to Snapchat, which deleted Hushpuppi's account. Read about our approach to external linking. The rise and fall of Hushpuppi the social media influencer and global money-launderer. Hushpuppi, Nigerian social media influencer, funded his luxurious lifestyle by cybercrime. We contacted Instagram to ask why his account was still open. 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. 'Gucci billionaire' influencer in plot to scam Premier League club A fact known all too well by Dubai-based lawyer Barney Almazar. 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. We will not share your email address with any third parties. Once a relationship is established via a false identity, romance scammers wheedle money from their online lovers. Labour Day, May Day: Wetin e mean and how e start. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? One member threatened to blow the whole scam wide open as he was unhappy about the money he was getting. Read about our approach to external linking. Hushpuppi Mr Ponle, 29, ran the "Mr Woodberry" Instagram account but the FBI says he used the alias "Mark Kain" in emails. One Million Dollars Per Constituency: Middle Belt Dev't Authority commissions three projects. I've never heard of anything like that. "They keep finding out.". Click here to sign-in and subscribe via a link sent to your email. BBC's detailed report on Hushpuppi - the Instagram influencer [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. This is when his Instagram posts - and crimes - went to another level. Abigail Mamo, chief executive of the Maltese chamber of small and medium enterprises, says the heist plunged the holiday island into chaos. An existing account was found for this email address. Recall that the FBI is prosecuting Ramon Abbas, a.k.a. 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. Hushpuppi's close associate, Mompha once revealed that his dad is still a cab driver in Lagos. [33] On 8 November 2022, Hushpuppi was sentenced to over 11 years (135 months) in a federal prison. According to court documents in California, he has cost victims 17m in total. The social media platform told the BBC that it had carried out an investigation into his account - but had decided not to close it. Their foreign suppliers did not receive the money Were talking about thousands of euros.. Hushpuppi, Nigerian social media influencer, funded his luxurious lifestyle by cybercrime. Hushpuppi is believed to have defrauded his victims, including a Qatari businessman and English football club, to the tune of $24 million. He fears that he might get apprehended at immigration immediately.". "I really don't have any comment right now, I have to learn the facts about this case," he told the BBC. The United Arab Emirates has no extradition treaty with the United States but Dubai police said they had been extradited to the US. He apologised to his family members for bringing them shame while commending the FBI for doing a thorough job while bringing him to justice. He has previously denied having any criminal involvement with Abbas and has not responded to the BBCs requests for comment. But everyone knew the source of his mysterious wealth - cybercrime; he was a "Yahoo", Seye says. Recall that Hushpuppis sentence had been moved three times since getting convicted in 2021. Hushpuppi also deny money laundering conspiracies, international money laundering and oda crime dem. [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. Wia dis foto come from, Twitter/@USAO_LosAngeles. 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. Wia dis foto come from, Instagram/@hushpuppi. It was to receive 100m from a Premier League Football Club, and 200m from a UK firm. Forgot your password? "They keep finding out.". His father was a taxi driver. Most cyber-criminals remain nameless, faceless, anonymous and all but untraceable. But soon, the cracks between the gang started to show. 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. "Brother I can't send from UK to Mexico," Abbas's sidekick messaged him. 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. Local driver Seye told the BBC that he remembered Abbas as a young boy working alongside his mother in the Olojojo market. Some are hesitant to admit what has happened.". But the Premiership scam fell apart when the UK banks refused to pay into the Mexican account. Tweets and reactions: revealing the geographies of cybercrime perpetrators and the North-South divide. Please ensure your password has at least 8 characters, an uppercase and a lowercase letter, and a number or symbol. His social media posts showed him living a life of luxury, complete with private jets, ultra-expensive cars and high-end clothes and watches. Despite himpleading guilty in April to money laundering, Hushpuppis social media is still live and attracting followers. TittlePress And then with that identity theft, they went into dating [scams]," explains Dr Adedeji Oyenuga, a cybercrime expert at Lagos State University. 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. 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.
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