Many of Ray Hushpuppi’s 2.5 million followers on Instagram would be in awe of his luxury cars, designer clothes, and other lavish experiences.
He would post his collection of Rolls Royce cars while donning limited edition Chanel, Versace, and other luxury clothes and accessories worth millions of dollars. The social media celebrity would also post going to countries in his private jets and helicopters just to get coffee, tea, or a facial spa.
However, Ramon Abbas (Hushpuppi’s real name), was alleged to have funded his multi-million-dollar lifestyle in Dubai through hacking schemes that funnelled money from major companies in Europe and the United States.
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Abbas’ own social media posts of living an extravagant life overseas gave away a digital trail that led international investigators to his arrest last June. UAE authorities seized Dh150 million in cash and over a dozen luxury cars from the Nigerian gang leader.
Authorities found out that Abbas scams unknowing individuals by creating websites that look similar to well-known banks and other companies to phish financial information.
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Dubai authorities handed Abbas to FBI agents who flew him to the USA last July 2, according to federal officials. If convicted, Abbas faces up to 20 years in prison, as per reports from CNN.