Many believe in faking it until they make it. However, some have ended up consumed by the flames of their greed. Through social media, people from all over are displaying their luxurious lifestyles. Visiting spacious hotels, eating expensive delicacies, dressing in high-priced outfits are but a few things many socialites post on their Instagram pages. Nonetheless, it is sad to say most of the things we see on these platforms are false. Before admiring and dreaming about all that we see, we should be sure. Some clout chasers have even gone to the extent of hiring private jets to pay for few hours of photoshoot. Hushpuppi, a prominent fake wealthy influencer, is now in hooks of victimization after faking it but not making it to the fake mountain tops.
Hushpuppi; The Fake Wealthy Influencer.
Raymond Abbas, alias Hushpuppi, is among the influencers whose reign ended within a day. Hushpuppi is a Nigerian Citizen, born and raised in the city of Lagos. His father worked as a taxi driver while his mother sold bread in the streets of Lagos. He washed cars and sold second-hand clothes for people. Judging from his family background, they were surviving from hand to mouth. The appetite to fake wealth and make it hit a hard rock, and before the flames of light could show, what showed is a path of darkness that unclothed his family living it to the world’s judgments.
With the help of other fraudsters, he mastered the art of internet fraud. That is when he formed a group and leveled up his game through Instagram. He blindsided many on Instagram through his inspirational quotes, where he urged people to work hard. Because of his fake assets and marketing himself as a real estate investor, he gained popularity. Hence, he had up to 2.4 million followers on Instagram. Sadly, his followers were unaware that they were victims of his scheme.
Hushpuppi would post photos in social media rolling in Royce Cullinan, flaunting his expensive accessories and Louis Vuitton and Gucci bags. Most of the time, he bragged about his diamond wristwatches and flying in private jets. During his stay in Dubai, he rented an apartment in the five-star hotel, Palazzo Versace. Could there be a cartel behind Hushpuppi’s lifestyle, or were his photos subjected to the powerful software that takes you where you want with the help of a guru behind the keyboards? Maybe, maybe not… Let us find out what fake it until you make it meant for Hushpuppi.
The Downfall of Hushpuppi
However, early 2020 marked the turning point in Raymond’s life. It was early in the morning when the FBI and Interpol burst into his apartment and arrested him with his accomplices. They had charged him with money laundering, hacking, scamming, and wire fraud.
Hushpuppi and his team became wealthy by stealing money from people through websites. They had created fake websites of prominent companies and banks from where they stole credit card information. As a result, over 2 million people were victims. Most of them were from Nigeria, the United States, and Europe.
During the raid, the authority unveiled 21 laptops,47 smartphones,15 memory sticks, five hard drives, a lot of cash, about $37 million. They also found 13 spacious cars worth $6.28 million. Together with his accomplices, they were taken to the United States and detained in a jail in Chicago. The authorities have arranged to transfer Hushpuppi to Los Angeles next month.
It is important to note that shortcuts are the greatest enemy to success. Although many want to win, our success should come honestly. Most of the empires built on dark pillars usually end up crumbling down quickly. There is no doubt Hushpuppi might rot in jail owing to the nature of his crime. Patience is a virtue we should all cultivate while moving up the ladder, and we should appreciate hardship as the obstacle that challenges us to the greater good.
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