Las Vegas judge sentences man to 3 years for extorting Instagram users, influencers
Idriss Qibaa, 28, pleaded guilty in February to charges including extortion, money laundering and stalking, records said. In federal court Thursday, U.S. District Judge Richard F. Boulware II sentenced Qibaa to prison time, plus three years supervised release, a $75,000 fine and $200,000 in restitution.
The FBI arrested Qibaa last summer, saying that he extorted and threatened customers and Instagram influencers as part of an online business to block and unlock social media accounts. Qibaa ran the website Unlocked4life.com and uses the names 'Dani' and 'Unlocked,' documents said.
Qibaa 'outlined an extortion scheme' during a podcast in 2024, where he also said he made more than $600,000 a month through his website, the FBI said after his arrest. During the 'No Jumper' podcast, Qibaa described 'locking victims' and then 'charging the victims to unlock the account,' documents said.
Qibaa later threatened to injure and kill a victim's family, prosecutors said.
Unlocked4life.com, which state records said was based in Henderson, advertised it could ban or unban social media accounts on Instagram, Snapchat, Telegram and TikTok, investigators said.
Qibaa also offered a service to purchase digital tracking and personal information.
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