A Florida conman who claimed he was billionaire Elon Musk stole $600,000 from an elderly woman whom he promised millions in return, according to police.
Jeffrey Moynihan, 55, impersonated the world’s richest man and struck up a friendship with a 74-year-old woman from Texas on Facebook, cops in Bradenton said.
After the pair exchanged messages for months in 2023, he convinced her to fork over $600,000 as an investment in what he claimed were Musk’s businesses — promising $56 million in return.
The pot-bellied fraudster was arrested, shirtless, at his home in Bradenton last year after the woman’s husband reported the crime to police.
He was sentenced to one year behind bars and nearly 30 years of probation after he pleaded no contest to fraud charges against him last week, WWSB reported.
Florida’s Senior Friendship Centers said this is a classic case of elder fraud that they are working to warn older folks about.
“A lot of times, people that are older may not have such a large social group,” a spokesperson said.
“And if you’re home alone, you know, for a day or two or whatever, and someone calls you or sends an email, and it’s a very friendly email, it can really trick people,” they added.
