An alleged Nigerian scammer claimed to have been behind efforts to force to the sale of Elvis Presley’s Graceland mansion in Memphis, Tennessee, the New York Times has reported.
Last week, a Tennessee judge blocked the foreclosure sale of the historic residence following a lawsuit by Elvis’s granddaughter, actor Riley Keough. She alleged Naussany Investments, the firm attempting the sale, used forged documents to claim an unpaid loan from the late Lisa Maria Presley in 2018. A temporary injunction was granted, and the case remains pending.
The newspaper received an email from the purported scammer and admitted identity thief with a network of “worms” around the United States aimed at preying on victims using fraudulent identification documents. While they claimed to be Nigerian, the journalists were unable to pinpoint the thief’s location.
Artnet News received neither the email nor a response from Naussany Investments following a request for comment. Other news outlets like WREG received response emails, but only the message to the Times appeared to take credit for the fraudulent scheme.
In its report, The Times noted that what separated the email from the typical outrageous declarations that newspapers get was that it was not unsolicited. It was made in response to a request for comment and was written roughly in the Luganda language.
“We figure out how to steal. That’s what we do,” they wrote, adding, “I had fun figuring this one out and it didn’t succeed very well.”
Little is known about Naussany Investments. Reports pointed out that the court document containing the email address was faxed from a toll-free number. Phone numbers listed for the company are not in service and the addresses appear to be fake.
No representatives for the company appeared in court when the judge granted the temporary injunction halting the sale and an attorney for Keough said he had no direct with the company.
Public records tied to the firm have been elusive. Naussany Investments filed documents in a California probate court in September 2023 including the purported deed of trust with Lisa Marie’s signature. But officials in Tennessee told the Times there are no documents from the firm “to legitimize this company foreclosing on any other property in Shelby County.”
The notary public in Florida who allegedly witnessed the signature of documents tied to Naussany Investments claim has said their signature was also forged.
Now, as Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti investigates Naussany Investments and its attempt to foreclose on Graceland, the company appears to have withdrawn its claim to the home.
Graceland was purchased in 1957 by Elvis Presley, who is buried there alongside his family members. The residence has functioned as a memorial and museum since 1982, when Presley’s widow Priscilla opened it for tours. Today, it draws at least 600,000 visitors per year, making it one of the most visited homes in the U.S.
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