Instagram Grants Hushpuppi Access To Account
Instagram has said the yet-to-be convicted Nigerian fraudster, Ramon Abbas (aka Hushpuppi) may continue using his account despite facing trial in a court in the United States of America (USA) for alleged email fraud.
According to a Dubai-based newspaper, The National, Instagram declared Hushpuppi free to continue using his social media account, noting that the Nigerian did not violate its laws.
Hushpuppi lived a life of luxury in Dubai and was always flaunting his expensive lifestyle on his Instagram account to show his largesse, sharing photos of extravagant shopping trips, luxury cars, clothes and watches.
The alleged Nigerian fraudster has over 2.5 million followers on Instagram, but he has not published a post on his account since June 2020, when he was arrested by Dubai Police.
Instagram, however, said Huspuppi will be free to continue to use the site, unless the US law enforcement agencies, in the US where he is facing trial rules otherwise.
The American social media company said it is enforcing a policy on inmate takedown requests in place for prisoners active on social media, noting Abbas does not fall under the categories which would validate account removal.
Instagram said accounts are only usually closed if they represent dangerous organisations or individuals.
An international police investigation uncovered almost $41 million in cash and 13 cars valued at about $6.8 million and other evidence in phone and computer records contained more than 100,000 fraudulent files and the email addresses of nearly two million possible victims.
The 37-year-old Hushpuppi, who owned a fleet of luxury cars, including a Bentley, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maybach, pleaded guilty to crimes that netted profits of about $24 million from his victims.
Last July, court documents disclosed how he allegedly played a major role in a school finance scam, as well as several other cyber and business email compromise schemes that cumulatively caused more than $24 million in losses.
Hushpuppi allegedly faked the financing of a Qatari school by playing the roles of bank officials and creating a bogus website in a scheme that also bribed a foreign official to keep the elaborate pretense going after the victim was tipped off.
