Bradendon, Florida. Authorities say that a 56-year-old man from Florida was detained earlier this month for allegedly posing as tech billionaire Elon Musk in an attempt to scam a 74-year-old woman out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
After authorities discovered evidence that Jeffrey Arthur Moynihan Jr. had impersonated Musk online and persuaded the woman to participate in a fraudulent business opportunity, he was arrested on November 19. In the arrest’s body camera footage, Moynihan is seen looking shocked as police handcuff him on his porch. “What is grand theft?” he inquired.
According to investigators, Moynihan befriended the woman on Facebook using a phony Musk persona before corresponding with her via email. According to reports, Moynihan used these conversations to persuade her to send money to Jeff’s Painting and Pressure Washing, LLC, his Bradenton-based company, which he misrepresented as Musk’s money manager.
The victim thought she was investing in a contract with the genuine Musk that guaranteed a $55 million return, according to police records. Although her husband informed detectives that the total cash she contributed may reach $600,000, financial records reveal the woman deposited $250,000 to Moynihan’s accounts. He went on to say that he thought his wife might have dementia because she was still certain that her money had gone to the real Musk.
The fraud claims were further supported by the investigation’s discovery that Moynihan had email accounts under the identities of Musk, singer Lionel Richie, and actor Johnny Depp.
According to investigators, an elderly woman’s life savings were depleted by a man’s Elon Musk deception.
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