US EditionOver the Moon: Fake astronaut scams lovestruck Japanese octogenarian
A scammer impersonated an astronaut in distress online, exploiting the victim's loneliness and trust to steal about $6,700, highlighting risks for Japan's older population.
- An elderly woman in Hokkaido lost about $6,700 to a scammer posing as an astronaut in distress, as reported by local police.
- The romance scam started on social media in July when the woman developed feelings for the fraudster, according to investigative sources.
- Americans lost over $1 billion to romance scams in 2023, and about half of dating site users faced attempted scams, revealed by the US Federal Trade Commission.
- Officials warn seniors are often targeted by scams, particularly in Japan, which has a highly aging population, as reported by local media.
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57 Articles
The fraudster had been talking to his victim, who lives alone, since July.
A woman over 80 years of age in Japan lost thousands of dollars after she was kidnapped by a person she loved online and claimed she was an astronaut who needed money to prevent a disaster in space, according to the police.
He Said He Was Stuck in Space, So She Opened Her Wallet
And you thought the AI-generated Brad Pitt scam was unbelievable. In a new case, an elderly Japanese woman was tricked out of thousands of dollars by a scammer claiming to be an astronaut stranded in space. The "romance scam" began in July when the two connected on social media, reports...
'Need To Buy Oxygen In Space': Fake Astronaut Scams Japan Woman Of $6,700
A Japanese octogenarian was swindled out of thousands of dollars after falling in love online with a self-described astronaut who sought her help to avert a spaceship crisis, police said Tuesday.
The woman, who lives in the north of the island of Hokkaido, met a crook on social networks who presented herself as an astronaut, who took money from him and assured him of being "in space on board a spaceship".
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