An elderly Japanese woman in her 80s was scammed out of $6,700 after a fraudster claimed to be a stranded astronaut in need of money. The “romance scam” began in July when the two connected on social media. The scammer told the woman he was aboard a spaceship facing an emergency, and she sent the requested funds to allegedly help him buy oxygen. Similar schemes have targeted seniors in Japan, where the aging population is vulnerable to a range of fraudulent activities. In 2022, another Japanese woman was scammed out of $30,000 by a man claiming to be a stranded astronaut on the International Space Station. Experts warn romance or love scams, which cost Americans over $1 billion in 2023, often exploit the trust of elderly victims. (Story URL)
