Elon Musk Impersonator Scammed Elderly TX Woman: Bradenton Police

BRADENTON, FL — A man is accused of impersonating billionaire Elon Musk while scamming an elderly Texas woman of at least $250,000, according to a Bradenton Police Department news release.

Jeffrey Arthur Moynihan, Jr., 56, a Bradenton resident and business owner, is charged with grand theft after an investigation by the BPD’s Elder Fraud Unit.

In 2023, the 74-year-old victim befriended who she thought was Elon Musk on Facebook.
Musk owns X, formerly Twitter, and SpaceX.

They exchanged messages for several months, and the victim was encouraged to invest in Musk’s businesses. She was promised a $55 million return, 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.

The victim’s husband told investigators his wife gave who she thought was Musk about $600,000.

Moynihan was arrested at his Bradenton home Wednesday night.

The real Elon Musk was otherwise engaged with the most recent launch of SpaceX and is not under investigation by police.