‘Astronaut-in-distress’ romance scammer steals money from elderly woman

A Japanese octogenarian from Hokkaido Island was scammed out of thousands of yen after being contacted by someone who described himself as a desperate astronaut in need of help. According to Hokkaidō Broadcasting, the fraudster reached the woman on social media in July, and after several weeks of messages claimed he was under attack in space and asked her to send money for “life-saving oxygen” through prepaid systems at five different convenience stores in Sapporo.

The total loss was around 1 million Yen (US$6,700), and the case is being treated as a romance scam by the police in Sapporo’s Teine district. Romance scammers typically target people via social media or online dating platforms, building trust over time before requesting money or sensitive information. Police have warned residents to be cautious of similar encounters online.