An elderly woman in Japan has fallen victim of a shocking online scam that cost her all her life savings. The 80-year-old, from Hokkaido, was tricked by a man pretending to be an astronaut in distress.
The scammer first contacted her through a social media app in July and slowly built her trust by showing love. He then shared an unusual story by claiming that he was trapped in a spacecraft under attack and desperately needed oxygen to survive.
Believing his words, the woman transferred 1 Million Yen (approximately Rs 5 Lakh) to help him buy oxygen. Instead of saving a stranded astronaut, her money was stolen by a fraudster.
Elderly Woman Loses Savings To Fake Astronaut
The woman, who lives alone, got attached to the scammer as their online chats continued, according to reports from local media like Hokkaido Broadcasting. Investigators said this emotional bond made it easier for the fraudster to carry out his plan.
The scammer instructed the woman to send money using prepaid systems at five different stores between mid-July and the end of August. Trusting his story, she followed the directions and made the transfers.
She told her family about it only after she realised she was tricked. After discussing it with them, she reported the case to the police, who confirmed that she became the target of a carefully planned scam. Local police later revealed that this was a common type of online romance scam. These scams often target older people, taking advantage of their loneliness and kindness.
Police issued a warning by urging people to stay alert. They advised that if anyone you meet on social media starts asking for money, it should immediately raise doubts about a possible scam. Authorities also shared the importance of reporting such cases to the police right away to prevent further losses.
Whose Behind The Scams?
Romance scams are costing people huge amounts of money, as fraudsters use new tricks to target those looking for love online. In 2023 alone, people lost more than $10 billion to different types of fraud, which was 14% higher than the losses reported in 2022, according to a Federal Trade Commission report.
CBS reported that many of these scams are run by an African group called Yahoo boys, who trick people, especially in the US, into sending money by trapping them in fake online relationships and other fraud schemes.
