Thinking she was dealing with tech billionaire and Tesla boss Elon Musk, an elderly Texas woman invested more than half a million dollars in the ‘company’ of fraudster Jeffrey Moynihan Jr. His motive seems extremely strange.
Moynihan had posed as Elon Musk on Facebook for almost a year until he finally had the 74-year-old woman wrapped around his finger.
“He convinced her that he was really Elon Musk and gave her constant updates on his life. Until the victim thought Elon was a good friend,” Bradenton police said.
Promised return of $55 million
After building trust, the fake Muscus recommended the woman to invest in his company. In return, he promised his new online girlfriend from the city of Frisco, Texas, a return of $55 million.
The husband raised the alarm
The retiree’s husband eventually filed a complaint when he discovered $600,000 had disappeared from the account. Experts were able to identify the recipient of the last bank transfer.
The victim had transferred $250,000 to the account of Jeff’s Painting and Pressure Washing LLC in Bradenton, where it remained. The owner was Moynihan, who was arrested by police in Florida for fraud and theft.
Curious motive
The motive of the perpetrator may be curious: according to the first investigations, the man himself had become a victim of a so-called love scam (fraudsters induce feelings of love and affection in their victims and thus lure money from their pockets, pay attention) and wanted to do this to do “recover” lost money.
No investigation against ‘real’ Musk
According to police, “there is no investigation into the real Elon Musk by our police department.” The ‘wrong’ billionaire was released on $15,000 bail.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
