Viral social media posts claim a suspected Nigerian fraudster committed fraud of over US$400,000 while in a United States prison.
The story has also appeared in several newspapers and blogs.
Ramon Abbas, popularly known as Hushpuppi, is known for showing off his lavish lifestyle on Instagram. He was arrested in June 2020 in Dubai. US authorities claim his crimes have cost victims almost $24 million.
Abbas is facing charges of internet scamming and money laundering at the US District Court for the Central District of California. He has pleaded guilty to the charges and is due for sentencing in July 2022.
The claim is based on what appears to be an affidavit by Andrew John Innocenti, a Federal Bureau of Investigation special agent, presented to the court on 16 March 2022.
Did Hushpuppi commit fraud of $400,000 from inside a US prison? We checked.
Fraud said to use economic impact payment card
The affidavit says Abbas worked with a partner to fraudulently collect US government Covid relief payments using the economic impact payment (EIP) card.
This prepaid debit card is given to eligible US citizens. It contained the first round of payments under the US government’s Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. It was also used to pay funds under the Covid-related Tax Relief Act of 2020 and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
The affidavit says Abbas has unrestricted phone calls and access to the internet in prison. It claims that while in prison, he bought 58…
