Instagram has told the BBC that they disabled the account of Nigerian influencer and high-profile international fraudster, Hushpuppi, becaus...
"We don't want anyone to use our apps to scam or embezzle people's money, and have clear rules against fraudulent activity - including money laundering," a spokesperson from Meta, which owns Instagram, said in a statement.
"We disabled @hushpuppi's account for breaking these rules," the statement continued. Hushpuppi, whose real name is Ramon Abbas, has been posting lavish pictures on his Instagram, showing off his expensive lifestyle to his 2.8 million followers. But that luxurious life came to an abrupt end after he was arrested in Dubai, where he lived, in June 2020.
Less than a year later, he pleaded guilty to money laundering in a US court and is considered one of the world's most notorious fraudsters, according to the FBI. Unsealed court documents showed that in his latest plot, he tried to steal more than $1.1m ($960m) from a man who wanted to build a school in Qatar. He had a worldwide network, and some of his plans spread from Malta to Mexico. Documents filed in California state that his crimes cost nearly $24m, and he now faces up to 20 years in prison. Despite admitting the mistake last year, Instagram had not removed his account at the time, saying they had investigated it and decided not to close it. The current suspension of his account was discovered by the Nigerian media on Sunday.
The Meta rules on fraud say they try to "prevent fraudulent activity that could harm people or businesses".
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