Just because it’s called the Nigerian or West African scam doesn’t mean the brains behind it are all in Africa. Ask Nick Marinellis, the Australian mastermind whose reputed fleecing of $5 million from victims around the world has landed him behind bars for five years and three months.
Marinellis set up a Web site to lure victims into thinking millions were theirs for the claiming by way of lottery winnings, inheritance protection involving fictitious wealthy African families, or even purported government leaders past and present, or other business opportunities, according to Australian press reports.
Marinellis was said to have shown no remorse while Judge Barry Mahoney sentenced him, saying his punishment was mandated to stop others from trying similar scams on and offline. “None of the matters are trivial,” the judge was quoted as saying, “and the modus operandi was complicated and devious.”
The 40-year-old Marinellis was believed to have worked with unidentified African men to aim for victims in Australia and around the world, including, according to one report, a Saudi sheik bilked for over $500,000. Marinellis, who tried to blame mental illness for his crimes, was believed to use numerous aliases from Alan Jones to Tim Webster while he ran the scam.
Authorities confiscated about $1.5 million worth of Marinellis’ assets to go to the New South Wales Victims Compensation Fund.
