Archive · 2 Sep 2025
Fake Astronaut Scams Japanese Woman Out of $6,700
Imagine an elderly woman who met someone online claiming to be an astronaut.
This person said they were in space but needed help.
They told the woman they needed money to buy oxygen and tricked her into sending them thousands of dollars.
The police have called it a 'romance scam'.
This is a type of fraud where someone pretends to like you to get your money.
The woman, who lives alone, started to have feelings for the scammer.
Police are warning everyone to be careful about people asking for money online, and to report any suspicious activity.
A Japanese woman was scammed by someone posing as an astronaut.
The scammer claimed to be in space and needing oxygen.
The woman sent the scammer around $6,700.
The police are calling the situation a romance scam.
Authorities are warning people to be wary of online requests for money.
- Who
- A fake astronaut scammed an elderly Japanese woman.
- What
- The scammer convinced the woman to send him money for oxygen while he was supposedly in space.
- When
- The online interaction began in July.
- Where
- The victim resides in Hokkaido, Japan.
- Why
- The scammer sought to defraud the woman of her money through a romance scam.
- Victim
- Japanese octogenarian
- Scam Amount
- $6,700 (approx. 1 million yen)
- Scammer's Claim
- Astronaut in a spaceship needing oxygen
- Location
- Hokkaido, Japan
- Type of Scam
- Romance scam