U.S. Government Fingers Hushpuppi In North Korean Heist

Hushpuppi's Passport

The U.S. government accuses Hushpuppi of involvement in a “North Korean-perpetrated cyber-enabled heist from a Maltese bank” in February 2019.

 

The Premium Times reports that the United States’ government has accused Ramon Abass, also known as Hushpuppi, of involvement in a North Korean conspiracy leading to a multi-billion dollar cyber fraud.

According to the report Mr Abass who is currently facing money laundering and wire fraud charges in the United States, allegedly took part in a “North Korean-perpetrated cyber-enabled heist from a Maltese bank” in February 2019.

This was contained in a statement issued by the U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday.

The report also has it that Federal prosecutors unsealed a charge against Ghaleb Alaumary, 37, of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, of money laundering for the North Korean conspiracy, among other criminal schemes.

It was stated that Mr Alaumary, who agreed to plead guilty to the charge, roped in Mr Abass in the alleged crime.

“Alaumary was a prolific money launderer for hackers engaged in ATM cash-out schemes, cyber-enabled bank heist, business email compromise (BEC) schemes, and other online fraud schemes. Alaumary is also being prosecuted for his involvement in a separate BEC scheme by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.

“With respect to the North Korean co-conspirators’ activities, Alaumary organized teams of co-conspirators in  the United Staes and Canada to launder millions of dollars obtained through ATM cash-out operations, including from Banklslami and a bank in India in 2018.

“Alaumary also conspired with Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, a.k.a ‘Ray Hushpuppi’, and others to launder funds from a North Korean-perpetrated cyber-enabled heist from a Maltese bank in February 2019.

“Last summer, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles charged Abbas in a separate case, alleging that he conspired to launder hundreds of millions of dollars from BEC frauds and other scams.”

As stated by Premium Times the U.S. authorities added that investigations of Mr Alaumary were conducted by the U.S. Secret Service’s Los Angeles Field Office and Global Investigative Operations Center.