Nigerian Instagram big boy, Hushpuppi, is reportedly facing new accusations from the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to the effect that he committed fresh fraud and laundered more than $400,000 while in jail in the U.S.
The new evidence was brought to the United States District Court of California on March 16th, 2022, indicting him of fraud and money laundering at a U.S. Federal penitentiary institution.
According to the documents attached to the report, the accused, while in U.S Federal correctional facility, allegedly engaged in the acquisition and washing of Economic Impact Payment debit cards obtained unlawfully from stolen data of US individuals and residents.
According to the CARES Act, the US government provides financial assistance to U.S. citizens who relocate abroad. Debit cards are a method of receiving Economic Impact Payments for qualifying US residents.
To file for and get Economic Impact Payments debit cards, hackers used data from documents produced in court. These EIP cards are sold to other cybercriminals in underground marketplaces.
United States authorities said that Hushpuppi, like the rest of the detainees, was granted regulated access to phone, Internet and computer network.
However, between January 28 and March 4, 2022, security authorities at a federal prison in the United States noticed that Hushpuppi was using the internet more often.
They secured an order to record Hushpuppi’s actions after learning that he had been detained for internet-related offences and that the warrant would be used against him. His activities were tracked over the course of seven days on a system built up just for him.
An underground cybercriminal marketplace was discovered to be selling EIP debit cards to Hushpuppi. A total of 58 EIP debit cards, worth $429,800, were purchased on the site by Hushpuppi while he was being filmed and laundered the money through one AJ.
See the fresh filings against him below.
