An 80-year-old woman living in Hokkaido, Japan, lost approximately 1 million yen, equivalent to 6,500 dollars, after trusting a scammer she met online. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
The Independent published information about this case. The woman met a person who introduced himself as an astronaut on social media in July.
The scammer told the woman that he had been attacked in space and needed money for oxygen, requesting financial assistance. Living alone, the woman trusted him and sent money.
The Hokkaido police issued a warning to the public, advising caution when someone met online asks for financial help. They emphasized that such cases could be scams and that it is necessary to immediately contact law enforcement agencies in such situations.
In Japan, the majority of the population consists of elderly people, making them easy targets for scammers. According to World Bank data, the country ranks second in the world for the highest proportion of elderly people.
Scammers often call or send messages pretending to be relatives asking for money, as well as use "romantic scam" methods. In the first 11 months of 2024, over 3,000 such cases were recorded in Japan, which is twice as many as in 2023.
The total damage amounted to 34.6 billion yen. This incident once again demonstrated the necessity of caution in online relationships.
Especially elderly and lonely individuals should be more careful in online interactions and avoid disclosing financial information in suspicious situations. It is important to thoroughly verify before sending money and to contact law enforcement agencies.
Awareness against internet fraud is the strongest means of protection. This incident highlights the dangers of online relationships and emphasizes the importance of caution and wise decisions.
