September 8, 2025 • 9 mins
Read the article: https://weirddarkness.com/astronaut-romance-scam-japan/
An 80-year-old Japanese woman wired thousands of dollars to a fake astronaut who claimed he was under attack in space and desperately needed money to purchase oxygen.
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WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.
#ElderlyRomanceScam #AstronautScam #JapanFraud #SeniorCitizenScam #OnlineDatingFraud #ElderlyExploitation #RomanceScamAlert #JapaneseSeniorFraud #ElderAbuse #ScamAwareness
An 80-year-old Japanese woman wired thousands of dollars to a fake astronaut who claimed he was under attack in space and desperately needed money to purchase oxygen.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.
#ElderlyRomanceScam #AstronautScam #JapanFraud #SeniorCitizenScam #OnlineDatingFraud #ElderlyExploitation #RomanceScamAlert #JapaneseSeniorFraud #ElderAbuse #ScamAwareness
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
I'm Darren Marler and this is a weird Darkness bonus bite.
The Internet connects billions of people across the globe, creating
opportunities for friendship, romance, and unfortunately, sophisticated deception that targets
the most vulnerable among us. In July twenty twenty four,
an eighty year old woman living alone on Japan's northern
(00:27):
island of Hokkaido started chatting with someone on social media.
The person claimed to be a male astronaut currently on
a mission in outer space. Their conversations continued for weeks,
growing more personal as the woman developed genuine feelings for
this distant spacefarer. Then came the crisis. The supposed astronaut
(00:47):
sent an urgent message claiming his spaceship was under attack,
He needed oxygen immediately, and somehow the only way to
obtain it was through a bank transfer from Earth. The
absurdity of the request that an astronaut in distress would
need civilian money wired to purchase life support didn't register
with the woman, who had grown emotionally attached to her
(01:10):
online companion. Between July and August, she deposited approximately one
million yen about sixty seven hundred US dollars using prepaid
payment systems at five different stores. The scammer had instructed
her to split the payments this way, a common tactic
to avoid detection and make the money harder to trace.
(01:31):
Each trip to these stores represented another installment in what
she believed was a life saving mission. The spell began
breaking slowly. Something felt wrong about the continuing requests, the
vague explanations, the way her astronaut friend always needed just
a bit more money. She finally confided in family members
(01:51):
about her relationship and the financial assistance she'd been providing.
Her family immediately recognized the scam. Together, they had to
local police to report the crime. The authorities delivered crushing
news this was a textbook romance scam, and recovering the
money would be virtually impossible. The funds had likely already
(02:12):
been moved through multiple accounts and converted to untraceable forms.
Pokaido Broadcasting reported the case as part of their coverage
on elder fraud. A police official told reporters that the
department decided to publicize the woman's story specifically to warn
other potential victims. The official urged anyone receiving money requests
(02:32):
from online acquaintances to immediately suspect fraud and contact authorities.
This was in Japan's first astronaut romance scam. In twenty
twenty two, another elderly Japanese woman lost thirty thousand US
dollars to someone claiming to be an astronaut who needed
financial health returning to Earth. The similarity between cases suggests
(02:54):
scammers are using tested scripts and scenarios, perfecting their approach
to maximize emotion manipulation. The astronaut persona works particularly well
for several reasons. Space travel remains exotic and exciting to
many people, especially older generations who witnessed the Space Race.
The physical distance provides a perfect excuse for why the
(03:16):
couple can't meet in person. The technical nature of space
missions allows scammers to invent urgent, confusing scenarios that victims
won't fully understand, but will trust based on their emotional connection.
Japan faces a unique vulnerability to these scams. The country
has the world's second oldest population after Monaco, according to
(03:38):
World Bank data. Many elderly Japanese live alone with adult children,
working long hours or living far away. Social isolation makes
them prime targets for criminals. Who offer companionship alongside their
eventual financial requests. Romance scammers drained over one billion dollars
from Americans alone in twenty twenty three, to Federal Trade
(04:00):
Commission data. That figure doubled from just five hundred million
four years earlier. The astronomical growth reflects both improved scamming
techniques and the expanding pool of lonely people seeking connections online.
Representative Britney Peterson, a Colorado Democrat, stated that roughly half
of all dating site users report encountering attempted scams. The
(04:23):
criminals have industrialized their operations, running multiple fake profiles, simultaneously,
using translation software to operate across language barriers, and sharing
successful scripts within criminal networks. The scammers typically follow a
predictable pattern. They establish contact through social media or dating platforms,
quickly express strong romantic interest, then gradually introduce crisis situations
(04:48):
requiring financial help. They exploit cognitive biases. Once victims send
initial payments, they often continue sending money rather than accept
that they've been deceived. Psychologists call this the sunk cost fallacy,
where people throw good money after bad rather than acknowledge
their losses. Japanese authorities have documented various fraud schemes targeting
(05:12):
the elderly. Beyond romance scams, the It's Me scam involves
impersonating family members in crisis. Criminals also manipulate seniors into
visiting ATMs to claim fake insurance refunds or pension payouts,
actually tricking them into transferring money to criminal accounts. The
financial losses represent only part of the damage. Victims often
(05:35):
experience profound shame, depression, and social withdrawal after discovering the deception.
They trusted someone completely shared intimate thoughts and feelings, only
to learn that person never existed. The emotional violation can
be more traumatic than the monetary loss. Family relationships frequently
suffer as well. Adult children may blame themselves for not
(05:59):
protecting their parents, or feel frustrated that their warnings went unheeded.
Some victims continue defending their scammers even after police involvement,
unable to accept that the relationship was entirely fabricated. Law
enforcement faces nearly insurmountable challenges prosecuting these crimes. Scammers typically
operate from other countries, use fake identities, and move money
(06:22):
through complex international networks. Even when criminals are identified, extradition
remains unlikely. Local police can document crimes and warn the public,
but rarely recover funds or achieve justice for victims. Financial
institutions in Japan have started implementing safeguards, flagging unusual transfers
and requiring additional verification for large withdrawals by elderly customers.
(06:47):
Some banks train staff to recognize the signs that customers
might be scam victims, such as nervous behavior while making
transfers or mentioning sending money to someone they've never met
in person. Technology companies face pressure to improve user protection.
Representative David Valdeo, a California Republican, emphasized that platforms must
(07:09):
enhance their defenses because scammers constantly evolve their tactics. Some
dating sites now use artificial intelligence to detect suspicious behavior patterns,
but criminals quickly adapt to these countermeasures. Education remains the
primary defense. Japanese police regularly hold community seminars teaching elderly
residents about common scams. They emphasize that legitimate people never
(07:33):
demand money transfers for emergencies, regardless of how convincing their
stories sound. Real astronauts have mission support, real family members
can be verified through other relatives and real romantic partners
will understand the need for caution with financial matters. The
eighty year old woman from Hokkaido will never recover her
(07:54):
sixty seven hundred dollars. Her story joins thousands of similar
cases worldwide, each presenting someone who simply wanted companionship and connection.
As one investigator noted, these criminals don't just steal money,
They harvest hope from those who have precious little left
to spare. The supposed astronaut continues operating somewhere, likely running
(08:17):
the same scam on multiple victims simultaneously. For every case
reported to police, researchers estimate several more go undocumented, hidden
by shame or family members who quietly absorb the losses.
Until technology platforms, financial institutions, and law enforcement develop better countermeasures,
the harvest continues. Keep an eye on your elderly relatives
(08:42):
and friends. If you'd like to read this story for yourself,
I've placed a link to the article in the episode description.
You can find more stories of the paranormal, true crimes, strange,
and more at Weirddarkness dot com slash news
I'm Darren Marler and this is a weird Darkness bonus bite.
The Internet connects billions of people across the globe, creating
opportunities for friendship, romance, and unfortunately, sophisticated deception that targets
the most vulnerable among us. In July twenty twenty four,
an eighty year old woman living alone on Japan's northern
(00:27):
island of Hokkaido started chatting with someone on social media.
The person claimed to be a male astronaut currently on
a mission in outer space. Their conversations continued for weeks,
growing more personal as the woman developed genuine feelings for
this distant spacefarer. Then came the crisis. The supposed astronaut
(00:47):
sent an urgent message claiming his spaceship was under attack,
He needed oxygen immediately, and somehow the only way to
obtain it was through a bank transfer from Earth. The
absurdity of the request that an astronaut in distress would
need civilian money wired to purchase life support didn't register
with the woman, who had grown emotionally attached to her
(01:10):
online companion. Between July and August, she deposited approximately one
million yen about sixty seven hundred US dollars using prepaid
payment systems at five different stores. The scammer had instructed
her to split the payments this way, a common tactic
to avoid detection and make the money harder to trace.
(01:31):
Each trip to these stores represented another installment in what
she believed was a life saving mission. The spell began
breaking slowly. Something felt wrong about the continuing requests, the
vague explanations, the way her astronaut friend always needed just
a bit more money. She finally confided in family members
(01:51):
about her relationship and the financial assistance she'd been providing.
Her family immediately recognized the scam. Together, they had to
local police to report the crime. The authorities delivered crushing
news this was a textbook romance scam, and recovering the
money would be virtually impossible. The funds had likely already
(02:12):
been moved through multiple accounts and converted to untraceable forms.
Pokaido Broadcasting reported the case as part of their coverage
on elder fraud. A police official told reporters that the
department decided to publicize the woman's story specifically to warn
other potential victims. The official urged anyone receiving money requests
(02:32):
from online acquaintances to immediately suspect fraud and contact authorities.
This was in Japan's first astronaut romance scam. In twenty
twenty two, another elderly Japanese woman lost thirty thousand US
dollars to someone claiming to be an astronaut who needed
financial health returning to Earth. The similarity between cases suggests
(02:54):
scammers are using tested scripts and scenarios, perfecting their approach
to maximize emotion manipulation. The astronaut persona works particularly well
for several reasons. Space travel remains exotic and exciting to
many people, especially older generations who witnessed the Space Race.
The physical distance provides a perfect excuse for why the
(03:16):
couple can't meet in person. The technical nature of space
missions allows scammers to invent urgent, confusing scenarios that victims
won't fully understand, but will trust based on their emotional connection.
Japan faces a unique vulnerability to these scams. The country
has the world's second oldest population after Monaco, according to
(03:38):
World Bank data. Many elderly Japanese live alone with adult children,
working long hours or living far away. Social isolation makes
them prime targets for criminals. Who offer companionship alongside their
eventual financial requests. Romance scammers drained over one billion dollars
from Americans alone in twenty twenty three, to Federal Trade
(04:00):
Commission data. That figure doubled from just five hundred million
four years earlier. The astronomical growth reflects both improved scamming
techniques and the expanding pool of lonely people seeking connections online.
Representative Britney Peterson, a Colorado Democrat, stated that roughly half
of all dating site users report encountering attempted scams. The
(04:23):
criminals have industrialized their operations, running multiple fake profiles, simultaneously,
using translation software to operate across language barriers, and sharing
successful scripts within criminal networks. The scammers typically follow a
predictable pattern. They establish contact through social media or dating platforms,
quickly express strong romantic interest, then gradually introduce crisis situations
(04:48):
requiring financial help. They exploit cognitive biases. Once victims send
initial payments, they often continue sending money rather than accept
that they've been deceived. Psychologists call this the sunk cost fallacy,
where people throw good money after bad rather than acknowledge
their losses. Japanese authorities have documented various fraud schemes targeting
(05:12):
the elderly. Beyond romance scams, the It's Me scam involves
impersonating family members in crisis. Criminals also manipulate seniors into
visiting ATMs to claim fake insurance refunds or pension payouts,
actually tricking them into transferring money to criminal accounts. The
financial losses represent only part of the damage. Victims often
(05:35):
experience profound shame, depression, and social withdrawal after discovering the deception.
They trusted someone completely shared intimate thoughts and feelings, only
to learn that person never existed. The emotional violation can
be more traumatic than the monetary loss. Family relationships frequently
suffer as well. Adult children may blame themselves for not
(05:59):
protecting their parents, or feel frustrated that their warnings went unheeded.
Some victims continue defending their scammers even after police involvement,
unable to accept that the relationship was entirely fabricated. Law
enforcement faces nearly insurmountable challenges prosecuting these crimes. Scammers typically
operate from other countries, use fake identities, and move money
(06:22):
through complex international networks. Even when criminals are identified, extradition
remains unlikely. Local police can document crimes and warn the public,
but rarely recover funds or achieve justice for victims. Financial
institutions in Japan have started implementing safeguards, flagging unusual transfers
and requiring additional verification for large withdrawals by elderly customers.
(06:47):
Some banks train staff to recognize the signs that customers
might be scam victims, such as nervous behavior while making
transfers or mentioning sending money to someone they've never met
in person. Technology companies face pressure to improve user protection.
Representative David Valdeo, a California Republican, emphasized that platforms must
(07:09):
enhance their defenses because scammers constantly evolve their tactics. Some
dating sites now use artificial intelligence to detect suspicious behavior patterns,
but criminals quickly adapt to these countermeasures. Education remains the
primary defense. Japanese police regularly hold community seminars teaching elderly
residents about common scams. They emphasize that legitimate people never
(07:33):
demand money transfers for emergencies, regardless of how convincing their
stories sound. Real astronauts have mission support, real family members
can be verified through other relatives and real romantic partners
will understand the need for caution with financial matters. The
eighty year old woman from Hokkaido will never recover her
(07:54):
sixty seven hundred dollars. Her story joins thousands of similar
cases worldwide, each presenting someone who simply wanted companionship and connection.
As one investigator noted, these criminals don't just steal money,
They harvest hope from those who have precious little left
to spare. The supposed astronaut continues operating somewhere, likely running
(08:17):
the same scam on multiple victims simultaneously. For every case
reported to police, researchers estimate several more go undocumented, hidden
by shame or family members who quietly absorb the losses.
Until technology platforms, financial institutions, and law enforcement develop better countermeasures,
the harvest continues. Keep an eye on your elderly relatives
(08:42):
and friends. If you'd like to read this story for yourself,
I've placed a link to the article in the episode description.
You can find more stories of the paranormal, true crimes, strange,
and more at Weirddarkness dot com slash news
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