A man claiming to be a Russian astronaut trapped in space has managed to scam a 65-year-old Japanese woman out of tens of thousands of dollars.
The woman, who lives in Higashiomi City, was made to believe he was in love and wanted to marry her.
However, he told her that the only way he could return from space and meet in her Japan was if she sent him money to cover his landing fees.
She sent him close to 30,000 dollars
According to Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun, the two met on Instagram on June 28. He told her he worked on the International Space Station.
Asahi TV says the scammer used the image of a real Russian cosmonaut.
Over time, he began to profess his love for her and said he needed money to get back to Earth.
In the end, she sent him close to 30,000 dollars between August 19 and September 5.
Even after receiving the money the man continued to ask for more, which aroused the woman’s suspicions, and resulted in her contacting the police.
