Amidst Controversy About Sale of Elvis Presley's Graceland Mansion, Nigerian Scammer Claims Credit

The person purporting to be involved in this responded to an email from CNN in which he wrote, "I didn’t win this one."

PUBLISHED MAY 31, 2024

Cover Image Source: Tourists prepare to enter Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley, on May 22, 2024 | Getty Images | Brad Vest

Elvis Presley's Graceland mansion in Memphis, Tennessee is among the most iconic addresses in the world alongside Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch and Bill Gates' massive house in Medina, Washington. This is why the news of Graceland being auctioned off raised a lot of eyebrows globally prompting Elvis' granddaughter Riley Keough to seek a restraining order against the sale. As the story unfolded, a Nigerian scammer proudly took credit for a failed attempt to sell Elvis Presley’s iconic Graceland mansion, as per the New York Post. The identity thief responded to an email from CNN in which he wrote, "I didn’t win this one." The email was written in a blend of English and Luganda, a language spoken primarily in Uganda. It's still unclear if the scammer was the person behind the scheme but the person responded to the comment that CNN had sent to an email address which was associated with Naussany Investments and Private Lending. Naussany Investments and Private Lending is the company that alleged that Lisa Marie Presley had put up this home as security on a $3.8 million loan in 2018. Now, Riley Keough, the eldest daughter of Lisa Marie, is claiming that the documents were forged, and that her mother never signed them.

Elvis Presley is decked with flowers as the dead singer's body was viewed by hundreds of his fans | Getty Images | Bettmann

In a hearing on May 22, 2024, JoeDae Jenkins of the Shelby County Chancery Court declared the lender's claims as invalid. The New York Times, on the other hand, also received similar emails from the same email address. Since the incident, a Memphis judge decided to halt the planned foreclosure of the property, fearing possible forgery. This issue has been noticed by FBI officials who are now planning to launch a criminal probe and have contacted Keough.

The property was bought by Elvis for $102,500 back in 1957, which was the same year he released the hits, "Blue Christmas" and “All Shook Up."

Tourists prepare to enter Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley, on May 22, 2024 | Getty Images | Brad Vest

The mansion called Graceland is spread on a 13.8-acre estate in Memphis, United States, once owned by Elvis Presley. The Graceland farms were originally owned by Stephen C Toof who was the founder of S.C. Toof & Co., the oldest commercial printing firm in Memphis.

After the star's death, the home went to Vernon Presley, Elvis' father who then gave it to his ex-wife Priscilla Presley, before their only child Lisa Presley inherited it as the sole heir. As per reports, the estate is huge and the maintenance costs are $500,000 a year. Priscilla later hired CEO Jack Soden and decided to open Graceland to the public and it became a museum in 1982. Every year, an annual procession is arranged through the estate, which includes a full schedule of speakers and events including the only Elvis Mass at St. Paul's Church.

Elvis Presley sits cheek to cheek wit his bride, the former Priscilla Ann Beaulieu | Getty Images | Bettmann — Elvis Presley sits cheek to cheek with his bride, the former Priscilla Ann Beaulieu | Getty Images | Bettmann

Apart from the house, the Graceland grounds include another exhibit complex, Elvis Presley's Memphis which has a car museum that houses Elvis's Pink Cadillac. In the year 2005, Lisa Marie Presley sold 85% of the business side of her father's estate. However, she kept the mansion to herself.