Online scammer ‘Billionaire Gucci Master’ gets 11 years in prison for fraud

Abbas, born in Nigeria, gained fame in Instagram posts to his more than two million followers, often smiling in front of one of his Rolls Royces or his Ferrari, or kicking back in a seat on a private jet. On gossip blogs, he was known as a ‘Nigerian big boy’, shorthand for an online fraudster. — AP

The Nigerian Instagram influencer who flaunted his wealth on social media as @hushpuppi and the Billionaire Gucci Master was ordered to spend the next 11 years in a US prison for his role in a global theft and money-laundering scam.

Ramon Abbas, 40, was sentenced on Nov 7 in Los Angeles to 135 months in prison after pleading guilty in April 2021 to conspiracy to engage in money laundering, which included helping North Korean hackers launder money from their attempts to steal more than US$1.3bil (RM6.16bil) through cyber-enabled bank heists, according to the US government.