BRADENTON, Fla. — A Florida man was arrested Tuesday for allegedly impersonating Elon Musk online and scamming a North Texas woman out of approximately $600,000, according to police.
The Bradenton Police Department Elder Fraud Unit arrested 56-year-old Jeffrey Arthur Moynihan Jr. for grand theft, according to a department release. Bradenton police said Moynihan befriended a 74-year-old Texas woman in 2023 under the guise of Texas billionaire Elon Musk and exchanged messages for several months, encouraging her "to invest in Musk’s businesses."
Moynihan, acting as Musk, promised her a a $55 million return on her investment, police said.
Police said financial records indicate the victim transferred $250,000 to bank accounts owned by Moynihan and his business, Jeff’s Painting and Pressure Washing, LLC, but her husband told investigators his wife gave "Elon Musk" approximately $600,000.
Moynihan was arrested at his home in Bradenton on Tuesday night, according to BPD.
The real Elon Musk is not under investigation by BPD, the department said.
A Frisco police spokesperson gave police the following statement about the alleged scam:
"I can confirm that we took a theft report back in June of this year involving the circumstances you described, and our Criminal Investigations Division was involved in gathering evidence related to the complaint. Ultimately, though, the case was forwarded to the Bradenton (FL) Police Department."
Bradenton police said its Elder Fraud Unit has investigated fraud cases involving victims over age 60, totaling nearly $3 million in losses this year.
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