Police in Hokkaido are investigating an unusual romance scam after an 80-year-old woman from Sapporo was tricked into sending about ¥1 million (≈ $6,700 USD) to a man pretending to be a Japanese astronaut stranded in space. According to Hokkaido Broadcasting (HBC) and CBS News, the scammer claimed he was “under attack” aboard a spacecraft and “running out of oxygen”, persuading the woman to make multiple payments between July and late August 2025.
Police from Teine Police Station lodged the case on September 1, 2025, as a romance scam after alerting people to increasingly complex internet frauds that target seniors.
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The solo resident of Sapporo first crossed paths with the conman through social media in July of 2025. For weeks, the man developed her trust before finally duping her into believing that he was an astronaut stuck in space and experiencing a “life-and-death situation.”
“I need your help to buy oxygen,”
One message reportedly read, according to HBC Hokkaido Broadcasting.
Believing his story, the woman sent a total of ¥1 million through convenience store transfers at five locations across Sapporo. The payments continued until late August, when she began to suspect something was wrong and informed her family. The case was officially reported to Hokkaido Prefectural Police on September 1, 2025.
Police say the scam relied on emotional manipulation. The woman, living independently, developed feelings for the scammer, making her vulnerable to his pleas. Experts note that scammers often exploit loneliness and trust to create false romantic relationships.
“This was not just about money; it was about emotional control,”
Said an unnamed officer from the Teine Police Station in comments to HTB Hokkaido Television.
“By framing his request as a crisis, the suspect created a sense of urgency and panic.”
According to the National Police Agency (NPA), Japan has seen a sharp increase in romance scams nationwide. During the first eleven months of 2024, authorities documented 3,326 cases, close to double that of the year before. Economic losses from such scams hit a staggering ¥34.6 billion (around $172 million USD) for the same timeframe. Over 60% of the victims were over 65 years old, reflecting the overbearing burden on Japan’s seniors. Experts observe that Japan, with its world-second-oldest population after Monaco, experiences a special set of difficulties with fraudsters increasingly taking advantage of social isolation and sparse digital proficiency among seniors to perpetrate complex internet scams.
Japan is not alone in facing this problem. According to U.S. Federal Trade Commission, Americans parted with more than $1 billion from romance scams last 2023, twice that in 2019. Correspondingly, British authorities have recorded increasing cases of pseudonymous soldiers, physicians, and professionals in fictitious crises.
“This is a global trend,”
noted the Japan Anti-Fraud Organization (JAFO).
“Scammers often impersonate trusted figures astronauts, doctors, or soldiers to manipulate emotions and extract money.”
Beyond financial loss, experts warn of the emotional damage caused by such scams. Victims often experience shame, isolation, and mistrust, making recovery difficult.
“An astronaut will never ask you to buy oxygen,”
The Teine Police Station warned in its public advisory.
“When in doubt, verify before you transfer.”
