An 80-year-old Japanese woman has fallen victim to one of the most bizarre online scams yet: she sent roughly one million yen (about £5,000, $6,751) to a man who claimed he was an astronaut stuck on a spaceship in space, and needed the cash to buy oxygen.
According to police in Hokkaido, the woman first got in touch with the scammer on social media back in July. What began as an online romance quickly spiraled into something out of hand. The fraudster told her he was “in space on a spaceship right now” and was “under attack and in need of oxygen.” according to Sky News’ report.
The woman, who lives alone was persuaded to transfer the money. Authorities confirmed the exchange was part of a typical romance scam, where con artists prey on people looking for companionship.
Police have urged residents to be careful of anyone met online who asks for money. Japan, home to one of the world’s oldest populations, has seen elderly citizens frequently targeted by such schemes.
Beyond romance cons, common frauds include the “it’s me” scam, where criminals impersonate relatives in trouble, or ATM tricks that coax seniors into transferring funds for fake refunds.
The problem extends far beyond Japan. Investigations, including one by Sky News last year, have exposed massive scam centers operating across Southeast Asia, where workers are trained to manipulate victims into handing over cash through fake romances, gambling schemes, and more.
Romance scams in particular are on the rise worldwide. In the U.S. alone, over 64,000 people lost more than $1 billion to romance scammers in 2023, double the losses reported just four years earlier, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
Colorado Rep. Brittany Pettersen has even urged tech companies to strengthen protections, noting that nearly half of online daters say they’ve been targeted by such scams.
It’s a stark reminder: if someone on the internet tells you they’re stuck in orbit and just need a quick wire transfer to breathe… maybe hang up the space call.
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