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posted by martyb on Wednesday July 08 2020, @06:43PM   Printer-friendly
from the REQUEST-FOR-URGENT-BUSINESS-RELATIONSHIP dept.

FBI nabs Nigerian business scammer who allegedly cost victims millions:

The US government has gained custody of a Nigerian man who is accused of participating in a massive fraud and money laundering operation. The defendant, Ray "Hushpuppi" Abbas, has amassed 2.4 million followers on Instagram, where he flaunts his access to luxury cars, designer clothing, and private jets. The feds say that he gained this wealth by defrauding banks, law firms, and other businesses out of millions of dollars. He was arrested last month by authorities in the United Arab Emirates, where he had been living.

The FBI's criminal complaint details how the government obtained a wealth of information tying Abbas to his alleged crimes. Abbas was an avid user of American technology platforms, including Instagram, Gmail, iCloud, and Snapchat. Accounts on these platforms were all registered using a handful of common email addresses and phone numbers. Abbas's main email account—rayhushpuppi@gmail.com—included a copy of Abbas' lease at a luxury hotel in Dubai and scans of various government-issued photo IDs under Abbas' name.

Abbas is accused of participating in a number of "business email compromise" scams. By posing as trusted employees or customers of a target organization, Abbas and his fellow fraudsters allegedly tricked employees into sending large sums to bank accounts they controlled.


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  • (Score: 4, Touché) by Thexalon on Wednesday July 08 2020, @07:06PM

    by Thexalon (636) on Wednesday July 08 2020, @07:06PM (#1018341)

    Dear sir,

    I am a Nigerian businessman who needs a discreet person to help me move $19.9 MILLION US Dollars to an account in the Cayman Islands. I will pay a 10% fee for your assistance. Remember to tell no one about this, especially a lawyer or the police.

    To accept this deal and collect your $1.9 MILLION US Dollars, reply with your:
    - Full Legal Name
    - Your current address
    - Your date of birth
    - Your Social Security Number
    - Full bank account information
    - A photograph of your passport

    Regard,
    Andre Mahmoud Kim

    --
    The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
    Starting Score:    1  point
    Moderation   +2  
       Touché=2, Total=2
    Extra 'Touché' Modifier   0  
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   4