Japanese woman loses U$ 30,000 to romance scammer posing as astronaut in distress

A bizarre case of online fraud has surfaced in Japan, where a 65-year-old woman was tricked out of millions of yen by a man pretending to be a Russian astronaut, 24NewsHD TV reported on Friday. 

According to reports, the scammer first contacted the woman through social media, claiming he was stationed aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Over time, the friendship developed into an online romance, with the impostor promising marriage once he returned to Earth.

To make his story more convincing, the fraudster told the woman that he needed money to cover “rocket expenses” and “re-entry fees” for his return journey from space.

According to Sapporo Television Broadcasting (STV), the woman met the fraudster on social media, where he claimed to be orbiting Earth aboard a spacecraft.

The impostor quickly wove a dramatic tale, insisting that his vessel was “under attack” and that he was running out of oxygen.

In a desperate plea, he persuaded the woman to purchase 1 million yen (approximately US$6,750) in electronic money and transfer it to him, claiming the funds were necessary to buy more oxygen.

Believing his claims, the woman sent him money on several occasions, totaling around 4.4 million yen (approximately 30,000 US dollars).

Her suspicions grew when the man repeatedly demanded more money and kept delaying his supposed return.

Eventually, she reported the matter to the police, who confirmed that the so-called astronaut was in fact part of a sophisticated online scam.

Japanese authorities have since warned citizens about the rising threat of romance scams, noting that fraudsters often exploit emotional connections to deceive victims.

They urged people to be cautious about sending money to strangers met online, no matter how convincing their stories may sound.