Instagram allows fraudster Hushpuppi to keep social media account

An Instagram investigation said the multi-million dollar fraudster known as Hushpuppi was free to continue using his social media account, despite his arrest in Dubai and a likely 20-year prison sentence.

Nigerian social media influencer Ramon Abbas has lived a life of luxury in Dubai thanks to a multi-million dollar money laundering empire, but his crimes do not violate social media laws.

Instagram said The National he had well-established processes in place with law enforcement and a policy on “detainee removal requests” for inmates active on social media.

Abbas has not posted on Instagram to his 2.5 million followers since June 2020.

But the company’s global team has said it will be free to continue using the site unless directed otherwise by law enforcement in the United States, where it awaits his conviction.

Abbas does not fall into the categories that would validate the deletion of the account.

Instagram said accounts are generally only closed if they represent dangerous organizations or individuals.

Although he has pleaded guilty to his crimes revealed in April 2021 court documents, Abbas has yet to be jailed, so his account does not violate Instagram policies or community standards.

The 37-year-old con artist pleaded guilty to crimes that brought in approximately $ 24 million in profits to his victims and was arrested in a high-profile police raid on his luxury hotel apartment in Palazzo Versace on Dubai Creek in 2020.

In one of his scams, he attempted to steal more than $ 1.1 million from a wealthy benefactor who wanted to fund a children’s school in Qatar.

Despite his crimes, Abbas remains free to post clips of his new life behind bars from his Instagram account if he has access to a mobile device or computer.

Abbas took to Instagram to show off his largesse, sharing photos of extravagant races, luxury cars, clothes and watches.

While his sartorial savvy may not have been to everyone’s taste – posting images of matching Hawaiian shirts and shorts and a purple Rolls Royce – they were clear signs of the proceeds of his crimes.

One item included a custom Richard Mille watch valued at $ 150,000.

An international police investigation uncovered nearly $ 41 million in cash and 13 cars worth around $ 6.8 million.

Other evidence in telephone and computer records contained more than 100,000 fraudulent files and the e-mail addresses of nearly two million possible victims.

Abbas owned a fleet of luxury cars, including a Bentley, a Ferrari, a Lamborghini and a Maybach.

Facebook uses both human examiners and sophisticated technology in all of its applications to detect, remove and prevent the promotion of disinformation.

Inmate accounts are disabled when a prison provides Facebook with legal authority to prohibit an inmate from accessing social media or the internet, or if the prison submits facts suggesting that there is a real security risk.

Update: September 19, 2021, 5:26 am