Ramon Abbas, alias Hushpuppi, is accused in the United States of fraud and money laundering. The Instagram influencer with 2,7 million subscribers faces up to 20 years in prison.
Between the early 2000s and 2012, “browsing” was extremely common in Africa. At the time, a few cybercafés, especially in Abidjan, in Côte d'Ivoire, welcomed Internet users who, with e-mails, robbed victims thousands of kilometers away. In Nigeria, these petty hustlers were known by the nickname “Yahoo Boys”. Ramon Abbas was one of them.
Since then, water has flowed under the bridge: Ramon Olorunwa Abbas has become Hushpuppi, an Instagram influencer followed by 2,7 million people. Since June 2020, however, no more publications have been posted on the social network. And for good reason: Hushpuppi is now behind bars, awaiting trial.
Before, Ramon Abbas lives in Dubai. During a raid, the police arrest the influencer. The latter was then extradited to the United States, which accused him of money laundering. On July 3, 2020, he appeared in court. According to the press, US investigators also accused Abbas of being behind a cyber attack on a bank in Malta and the embezzlement of $15 million a year earlier.
Millions taken from Britons and Qataris
In addition to these thefts, Hushpuppi is also at the center of a case of attempted extortion of funds - a hundred million dollars - from a football club in the Premier League, England.
What explains the fortune of the influencer? He had taken pleasure, before 2020, in appearing at the wheel of pretty sports cars, but he also liked to talk about his watches or show himself on board private jets. In Dubai, Ramon Abbas led the good life. He then claimed to have made a fortune in real estate…
The ex-Yahoo Boy would have actually continued his scams, but on a large scale this time. He was indeed accused of being at the head of a network of cybercriminals. And when the police arrived, who had searched his home, more than 40 million dollars had been found… in cash. An impressive number of computers had also been seized. Worse, the police had discovered a file containing the contact details of 2 million people.
Networks all over Africa
Abbas' life seems totally linked to the evolution of cybercrime. After defrauding people via email, Abbas, like other Yahoo Boys, got into identity theft and "love scams", says cybercrime expert Dr Adedeji Oyenuga at the Lagos State University, with the BBC. In 2014, Abbas settled in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, before moving to Dubai three years later.
While he now appears more and more on social networks – Instagram, the influencer specifying that he does not have Facebook or… Tinder – he is accused of several fraudulent operations. As an attempt to launder, in 2019, $ 15 million that a North Korean gang had stolen from a Maltese bank. Then Abbas attempted other frauds, notably via Latin America. In Dubai, Abbas allegedly scammed 25 people, mostly Britons. Some have lost as much as half a million pounds. He also scammed a wealthy Qatari, through intermediaries in Kenya, in Nigeria or in the United States.
The former "Billionaire Gucci Master" is now imprisoned. His trial began last month. Ramon Abbas faces up to XNUMX years in prison after pleading guilty to his money laundering charge. His Instagram account is still online.