₦airaland Forum

MASTERCHIEF0847:
I asked a question to get myself enlightened. Don't reply me with a question if you don't wish to answer. I don't argue to win i argue to learn.

According to the investigation, “In June 2018, Unatrac Holding Limited, the export sales office for Caterpillar heavy industrial and farm equipment, headquartered in the United Kingdom, contacted the FBI. They reported that Unatrac had been victimised through an email compromise, which ultimately resulted in fraudulent wire transfers totalling nearly 11million US Dollars. After reviewing the documentation provided by the representatives, the FBI opened an investigation in July 2018.” The FBI discovered that after capturing the legitimate credentials of Unatrac’s Chief Financial Officer, the accused was able to log in and access the CFO’s entire Office365 account, which included all of his emails and various digital files, the logs indicated that between April 6 and April 20, 2018, the intruder accessed the CFO’s account 464 times, mostly from Internet Protocol (IP) addresses from Nigeria.

MASTERCHIEF0847:
If you drive a 504 without covering your tracks properly then you will end up being arrested.
Go and read about the case of $18m stolen from the scoular company as reference. The perpetrators are free men despite an indiction from a US court.
Even in Naija we have someone who is a governor now and has a money laundering case in the US.

MASTERCHIEF0847:
Who were the victims that reported? There's a world of difference between stealing from individuals and stealing from corporations.

paradigmshift:
Lol, he was caught because he shows off.
All those many talk from Fbi na nonsense

naptu2:
There are many people that have engaged in fraud and are living a lavish lifestyle, but have not been arrested either because the victims have not complained or the authorities have not been able to trace the crime to them yet. The most significant thing about Hushpippi's arrest is the fact that he committed a crime, the victims complained to the authorities and the authorities were able to trace the crime back to him. Without that there is no case. What would affect the jury is the magnitude of the crime and the impact on the victims.

MASTERCHIEF0847:
Noriega? Man that was over 3 decades not now.
You have to commit a crime to get arrested right? But he became a person of interest when he started flaunting that lifestyle on social media.
Fireeye Inc which is a respected organization in the cyber security industry wrote a report about Nigerians displaying questionable wealth on social media admist rising cases of BEC, same thing with the lead reseacher at Norton security.
You can't flaunt over a million dollars on social media and not become a person of interest.
It's not always about one being reported.

MASTERCHIEF0847:
Noriega? Man that was over 3 decades not now.
You have to commit a crime to get arrested right? But he became a person of interest when he started flaunting that lifestyle on social media.
Fireeye Inc which is a respected organization in the cyber security industry wrote a report about Nigerians displaying questionable wealth on social media admist rising cases of BEC, same thing with the lead reseacher at Norton security.
You can't flaunt over a million dollars on social media and not become a person of interest.
It's not always about one being reported.

MASTERCHIEF0847:
Most of the mone.y came from corporations. I'm not saying he wasn't reported but reporting you is one thing and finding you or pining it on you is another.
With the kind of money he was seeing he had ample time to successfully change his identity or get citizenship with a country that has no extradition agreement with the US, or even go to the extreme and get a cosmetic surgery in Thailand and change your entire facial look.
He had no exit strategy which is key in crime. He forgot that a fool and his money soon part ways.

Sysdatek:
I disagree
The flaunting attracted the attention of dubai police

naptu2:
There are many people that have engaged in fraud and are living a lavish lifestyle, but have not been arrested either because the victims have not complained or the authorities have not been able to trace the crime to them yet. The most significant thing about Hushpippi's arrest is the fact that he committed a crime, the victims complained to the authorities and the authorities were able to trace the crime back to him. Without that there is no case. What would affect the jury is the magnitude of the crime and the impact on the victims.

corperscorner:
So for some time now, we've been getting disturbing by the noise of the glorious Gucci puppet called Hushpuppi.

First of, I'm doing this for the sake of those that would want to wallow in frustration 'cos they feel this dude is getting money just by being a socialite (only God knows what that truly means in today's world).

When it comes to social engineering, you only need to slip up and make a tiny mistake just once before you have your biography being downloaded by the whole world. Apparently, Nigerian scammers are not learned enough to dust their trails. I keep telling those who care to listen, the true scammers and fraudsters have at least one Masters Degree in a duly accredited course of study from a renowned institution (not those ones that grew up knowing all the cyber cafes in the area).

Hushpuppi slipped up when he posted a screenshot of his credit notification received via mail. He exposed a detail he probably thought wouldnt mean much (dude, seriously - I thought you were smart).

Well....before i continue...leme just share the screenshots alongside this post. Observe the email addy in the screenshot below:

jwoodscrane@yahoo.com

corperscorner:
The screenshot was obviously taken on his device in an attempt to make heads roll on social media I guess. But he probably forgot to cut that part off.

Guess what, we appreciate that cos those that look up to you will now know exactly what you do for a living. Just read on yo....

.....

So the mail got ran through a virtual mail registry and quite a number of mappings were carried out to determine the social profile of this anonymous identity.

Thats hushpuppi highlighted in green (dude is so sloppy)

corperscorner:
Sure you must have compared the email from the virtual registry with the email from his "bank alert". Thats a 100% match...

Interesting.....LOL....Mr Socialite.

Not done yet....so a baby step was taken further to put a face to the identity and guess what. The end-result made me understand why this dude sometimes wear female clothes. Ray Hushpuppi is actually a "SHE".....

THe email was mapped to a single profile on Facebook....no suggestions or similar profiles at all. It got mapped directly to a single Facebook account: Jane Woodscrane

Little wonder why bros hushpuppi picked the "J" from the Jane and retained the "Woodscrane".

The account has just a few pictures with the usual Facebook privacy thing turned on (very peculiar with Nigerian scammers tho). I want to believe this dude has more aces up his sleeves.

This could be his past or his latest parole......but one thing is so certain. This is a part of who Hushpuppi is.

I do social engineering for fun....so if he would like to bark at this, he should remember there is more where that came from unless he is a close friend to the CEO of Google and would put a call through to him to wipe off all his related records off the internet (plus dark web).

I'm not hating on him tho...but so long he keeps insulting hardworking people with a verified source of income - the source of his wealth will continue to stir the curious mind.

PS: The use of "hardworking people" in this context does not refer to musical artistes (I mean the guys with big egos that can't stand other people with big egos too).

And for those that would say I have time for all these. It only took me about 7mins. I have other productive things to fill my time with. #Bless

See screenshots below...

corperscorner:
...........

Quoting another Nairalander @Nov6

"when this came up,i have been running my own traces too,
and i agree more without every detail you have put down.
He is using woodcrane identity to defraud people.

Jane is 43 from sweden currently residing in Huston with an international legit connection in Malaysia,Canada,Philipines.
I tracked a phone number down and placed a call to the number, lo&behold our so called hushpuppi which i prefer to call him (hushbingo) is a fraudster living with so many different identities......

As for you all looking up to him as a role model, well kudos to u.

I remember one idiot here called Damafe or whatever his name is has been reigning insults on himself which is not me just becoz i called "hushpuppy" "hushbingo",
i wud rather be an average nigerian with a legit business&my white collar job and have peace of mind,be comfortable,contented than live on other people's identity to just make money&fame....

@OP great job,even tho you do yours for fun but i do mine for a living. i guess we are just a few that are good @deciphering information."

bragamycin:
The name and country of others should be made public also just as they exposed HushDoggy. Conspirator 1 had been in custody since last year yet we don’t know him.

MASTERCHIEF0847:
The most significant part is always commiting a crime no doubt just like displaying a lavish lifestyle with the proceeds was his the honey pot.

jacoik:
I disagree sir. it was because he flaunted health! now tell me, is he the only g boy? when you know what you in to you suppose to pipe low and not this arrogance

naptu2:
There are many people that have engaged in fraud and are living a lavish lifestyle, but have not been arrested either because the victims have not complained or the authorities have not been able to trace the crime to them yet. The most significant thing about Hushpippi's arrest is the fact that he committed a crime, the victims complained to the authorities and the authorities were able to trace the crime back to him. Without that there is no case. What would affect the jury is the magnitude of the crime and the impact on the victims.

Memberclub:
Did Instagram give interpol his login details?

Is that not illegal?

colestephan86:
United States of America Vs Hush puppie.
A whole country took a man to court.

MASTERCHIEF0847:
Most members of operation carbanak which stole over a billion euros are still at large and untraceable, the group that stole over $80 million from the Philippines central bank (they actually attempted to steal $800 million) are untraceable because they used to funds to buy casino chips and resell which is a legal business with casinos. Another group stole $18 million from the scoular company of US, even though the account was traced and FBI got a court order nothing was done because Chinese banks don't offer much cooperation to foreign cases same way the US does to most countries.
Cases of less than $100,000 won't attract the involvement of the FBI so the actors in operation carbanak stole a maximum of $60,000 from each account, they stole from hundreds of thousands of bank accounts mostly in the US and about 55 other countries. The FBI wasn't getting any hits because no large amounts were reported stolen (The US which created the SWIFT network just like the internet monitors large funds transfers in order to track terrorism sponsorship through money laundering).
There are many similar stories, most banks don't even report cyber attacks to the FBI because of customers panic will lead to a crash of your stocks. Yes he got arrested for his crime but if he had stayed off social media and spent more time on getting a new Identity he would most likely not be in jail.

redcliff:
wheb the Jury sees those photos do yoh think it would not affect his sentencing?

Instagram star 'Hushpuppi' charged with trying to steal £100m from Premier League club

Ramon Abbas, who is known as "Ray Hushpuppi", was arrested in Dubai after an FBI investigation and has appeared in a US court.

Greg Milam
US correspondent @GregMilamSky

Saturday 4 July 2020 03:36, UK


A social media celebrity, who flaunted his opulent lifestyle to millions of followers on Instagram, has appeared in court in the US charged with running a global scam which allegedly targeted a Premier League club.

Ramon Abbas, known to his social media followers as "Ray Hushpuppi", was arrested in Dubai last month after a months-long investigation led by the FBI.

He has been transferred to the US and appeared in court in Chicago.

In a dramatic video produced by Dubai police, officers taking part in what was dubbed "Operation Fox Hunt 2" are seen breaking through the doors of Hushpuppi's home while he slept.

A dozen alleged co-conspirators were also arrested in a series of coordinated raids.

In dozens of Instagram posts over the last few years, the 37-year-old Nigerian national has boasted of living the extravagant lifestyle of the super-rich jet-set.


Investigators say they were able to track his movements by following his posts on his Instagram account, which has 2.4 million followers.

In court documents, the US Department of Justice alleged: "Abbas maintains social media accounts that frequently showed him in designer clothes, wearing expensive watches and posing in or with luxury cars and charter jets.

"The FBI's investigation has revealed that Abbas finances this opulent lifestyle through crime."

Hushpuppi is alleged to have operated what is known as a business email compromise or BEC scheme, hacking corporate emails and tricking staff into making money transfers. He is also accused of conspiring to launder millions of dollars in stolen money.

"Abbas and others further conspired to launder hundreds of millions of dollars from other fraudulent schemes and computer intrusions, including one scheme to steal £100m (approximately $124m) from an English Premier League soccer club," the Department of Justice said.

The Premier League club is not identified in the criminal complaint.

In a statement, US Attorney Nick Hanna said: "BEC schemes are one of the most difficult cyber crimes we encounter as they typically involve a coordinated group of con artists scattered around the world who have experience with computer hacking and exploiting the international financial system.

"This case targets a key player in a large, transnational conspiracy who was living an opulent lifestyle in another country while allegedly providing safe havens for stolen money around the world. As this case demonstrates, my office will continue to hold such criminals accountable, no matter where they live."

If he is found guilty of conspiracy to engage in money laundering, Hushpuppi would face a maximum sentence of 20 years in a US federal prison.

In his last Instagram post in early June, under a picture of a Rolls-Royce and the hashtag AllMine, he wrote: "May success and prosperity not be a 'once upon a time' story in your life."

With a praying emoji, he adds: "Continue to shame those waiting for me to be shamed."

Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
Central District of California


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, July 3, 2020

Nigerian National Brought to U.S. to Face Charges of Conspiring to Launder Hundreds of Millions of Dollars from Cybercrime Schemes

COMPLAINT

LOS ANGELES – A Dubai resident who flaunted his extravagant lifestyle on social media has arrived in the United States to face criminal charges alleging he conspired to launder hundreds of millions of dollars from business email compromise (BEC) frauds and other scams, including schemes targeting a U.S. law firm, a foreign bank and an English Premier League soccer club.

Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, 37, a.k.a. “Ray Hushpuppi” and “Hush,” a Nigerian national, arrived in Chicago Thursday evening after being expelled from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Abbas made his initial U.S. court appearance this morning in Chicago, and he is expected to be transferred to Los Angeles in the coming weeks.

Abbas was arrested last month by UAE law enforcement officials. FBI special agents earlier this week obtained custody of Abbas and brought him to the United States to face a charge of conspiring to engage in money laundering that is alleged in a criminal complaint filed on June 25 by federal prosecutors in Los Angeles.

According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, Abbas maintains social media accounts that frequently showed him in designer clothes, wearing expensive watches, and posing in or with luxury cars and charter jets. “The FBI’s investigation has revealed that Abbas finances this opulent lifestyle through crime, and that he is one of the leaders of a transnational network that facilitates computer intrusions, fraudulent schemes (including BEC schemes), and money laundering, targeting victims around the world in schemes designed to steal hundreds of millions of dollars,” according to the affidavit.

The affidavit describes BEC schemes as often involving a computer hacker gaining unauthorized access to a business’ email account, blocking or redirecting communications to and/or from that email account, and then using the compromised email account or a separate fraudulent email account to communicate with personnel from a victim company and to attempt to trick them into making an unauthorized wire transfer.

“BEC schemes are one of the most difficult cybercrimes we encounter as they typically involve a coordinated group of con artists scattered around the world who have experience with computer hacking and exploiting the international financial system,” said United States Attorney Nick Hanna. “This case targets a key player in a large, transnational conspiracy who was living an opulent lifestyle in another country while allegedly providing safe havens for stolen money around the world. As this case demonstrates, my office will continue to hold such criminals accountable, no matter where they live.”

“In 2019 alone, the FBI recorded $1.7 billion in losses by companies and individuals victimized through business email compromise scams, the type of scheme Mr. Abbas is charged with conducting from abroad,” said Paul Delacourt, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “While this arrest has effectively taken a major alleged BEC player offline, BEC scams represent the most financially costly type of scheme reported to the FBI. I urge anyone who transfers funds personally or on behalf of a company to educate themselves about BEC so they can identify this insidious scheme before losing sizable amounts of money.”

“This was a challenging case, one that spanned international boundaries, traditional financial systems and the digital sphere,” said Jesse Baker, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Los Angles Field Office. “Technology has essentially erased geographic boundaries leaving trans-national criminal syndicates to believe that they are beyond the reach of law enforcement. The success in this case was the direct result of our trusted partnerships between the Department of Justice and our federal law enforcement colleagues. These partnerships helped dismantle a sophisticated organized crime group who preyed upon unsuspecting businesses. It is thanks to these partnerships that the American people can feel a bit more secure today.”

The affidavit alleges that Abbas and others committed a BEC scheme that defrauded a client of a New York-based law firm out of approximately $922,857 in October 2019. Abbas and co-conspirators allegedly tricked one of the law firm’s paralegals into wiring money intended for the client’s real estate refinancing to a bank account that was controlled by Abbas and the co-conspirators.

The affidavit also alleges that Abbas conspired to launder funds stolen in a $14.7 million cyber-heist from a foreign financial institution in February 2019, in which the stolen money was sent to bank accounts around the world. Abbas allegedly provided a co-conspirator with two bank accounts in Europe that Abbas anticipated each would receive €5 million (about $5.6 million) of the fraudulently obtained funds.

Abbas and others further conspired to launder hundreds of millions of dollars from other fraudulent schemes and computer intrusions, including one scheme to steal £100 million (approximately $124 million) from an English Premier League soccer club, the complaint alleges.

A criminal complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

If convicted of conspiracy to engage in money laundering, Abbas would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

The FBI led the investigation of Abbas, and the United States Secret Service was also involved and provided substantial assistance. The FBI further thanks the government of the United Arab Emirates and the Dubai Police Department for their substantial assistance.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anil J. Antony and Joseph B. Woodring of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in this matter.

Racoon:
Nice thread @ naptu2.Histroy well documented for younger generations to learn from.Pls how do you insert the pictures into the thread?