Overview

• Police in Sapporo’s Teine district say an 80-year-old victim met the scammer on social media in July and developed an online relationship.
• The fraudster claimed he was “in space,” said he was “under attack” and needed money to buy oxygen, according to police quotes reported by AFP.
• Investigators say the woman sent about ¥1 million via prepaid electronic payment systems at multiple convenience stores between mid-July and late August.
• The woman lives alone and reported the incident to family, then to police, after realizing she had been deceived; no suspect has been identified or arrested.
• Officers classify the case as a romance scam and urge residents to be skeptical of cash requests from online contacts, noting a nationwide rise in such crimes.