Ramon “Hushpuppi” Abbas, a Nigerian influencer, gained over 2 million followers on Instagram by portraying a life of luxury with private jets, luxury cars, and designer clothes. However, the FBI revealed that Abbas was a prolific money launderer, allegedly helping to launder over $300 million in just 18 months. One of his purported clients was North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and he was open for business to provide bank accounts to wash stolen money from cybercrime.
Geoff White, an investigative journalist, became intrigued by Hushpuppi’s criminal activities. He noted that the value of a tech-savvy money launderer, particularly for criminals who needed to move stolen money discreetly. While vulnerable followers, particularly those under 25, were susceptible to the allure of social media-influenced crime, Hushpuppi’s lucrative operation came with costly drawbacks.
Hushpuppi’s downfall came when investigators tracked his whereabouts using his social media accounts, leading to a federal prison sentence of 11 years and an order to pay his victims $1.7 million in restitution. Cryptocurrency, while offering benefits to law-abiding citizens, also attracts money launderers due to its privacy and ability to exploit regulatory gaps.
According to White, cryptocurrency also provides cost savings for money launderers, who can charge high fees for their services. Unfortunately, this has also led to the successful laundering of stolen money by criminals. The US government blacklisted a service and charged two founders with laundering more than $1 billion in criminal proceeds.
Geoff White is set to speak at this year’s TNW Conference on June 20-21 in Amsterdam.
If you’re interested in attending the event, the code TNWXMEDIA will give you 30% off your business pass, investor pass, or startup packages.