Florida Man Arrested for Impersonating Elon Musk in $250,000 Fraud Scheme.
A Florida man has been arrested for impersonating tech billionaire Elon Musk in an attempt to defraud a 74-year-old woman out of at least $250,000, according to law enforcement officials. Jeffrey Arthur Moynihan Jr., 56, was taken into custody in Bradenton on Tuesday evening and is facing charges of grand theft.
Moynihan allegedly posed as the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, building a friendship with the victim, a woman from Texas, through Facebook starting in 2023. As part of the scam, the victim was promised an extraordinary return on investment of $55 million.
According to investigators, the victim’s husband revealed that she had been duped into relinquishing nearly $600,000 in total, with $250,000 of that amount traced to accounts linked to Moynihan. The victim was convinced she had invested her money directly with Elon Musk and felt a strong personal connection with him.
Detective Jim Curulla of the Bradenton police received a lead from authorities in Frisco, Texas, who were probing an incident involving a woman who purportedly donated a significant amount of money to an organization impersonating a tech billionaire, as stated by a department spokesperson.
The scam began when the fake Musk gained the victim’s trust, suggesting she invest in his businesses. Over time, the victim made several financial transactions, believing she was supporting Musk’s ventures. To strengthen his ruse, Moynihan would frequently update the victim with fabricated details about Musk’s daily activities, often referencing recent news articles to make the interactions feel more personal.
The investigation began after Texas authorities uncovered a similar case, with a woman donating a large sum of money to a fake Musk organization. Through further investigation, authorities discovered that Moynihan had received the victim’s $250,000 through his business, Jeff’s Painting and Pressure Washing LLC. Additionally, records revealed other funds from the victim were deposited into accounts tied to Moynihan.
During his arrest, Moynihan was found shirtless at his residence, where he questioned the charges of grand theft, asking, “Grand theft of what?” Officers informed him that a detective would provide further details. Moynihan later claimed that the $250,000 was meant for a girlfriend with whom he had an online-only relationship, raising the possibility of him being involved in a separate fraudulent scheme.
Trafigura Seeks to Recover $500 Million in Mongolian Fuel Fraud Scheme