Overview
- Police say the about-80-year-old Hokkaido resident met the man online in July.
- He told her he was on a spacecraft, claimed he was under attack, and requested funds to buy oxygen.
- The woman transferred roughly ¥1 million, about €5,780, via online payments, according to police.
- Local media report she developed feelings during chats, reflecting tactics that target seniors in Japan’s aging society.
- Investigations are ongoing, and reporters note a 2022 case in which a fake Russian cosmonaut extracted about ¥4.4 million from another victim.