An 80-year-old Japanese woman has been defrauded of approximately one million Yen (£ 5,000) by an online scammer who pretended to be an astronaut stranded in space and urgently needed money to buy oxygen.
The victim, who lives in a single household capacity in Hokkaido, met the fraudster on social media in July, 2025 and formed a romantic relationship during their chats before being convinced to transfer money for oxygen supplies.
The scammer told the targeted lady that he was in space on a spacecraft right at the moment and under attack and in need of oxygen which manipulated the elderly woman into sending the huge money.
Police reports revealed this case mirrors an alarming trend in Japan, which has the world's second-oldest population and where romance scams have more than doubled in 2024.
The National Police Agency report disclosed that 3,326 romance scams were reported in the first 11 months of 2024, causing damages up to ¥34.6 billion (£173.8 million) in total, more than double the previous year's figures.
Japanese authorities note that elderly residents frequently face exploitation through various fraudulent tactics including the it's me scam and fake pension refund schemes.
Local authorities have issued warnings urging social media users to be suspicious of any requests for money from online acquaintances.