“In need of oxygen…”: Fake astronaut dupes lover of ₹6 lakh in bizarre scam

Imagine a fake astronaut scamming an elderly woman out of nearly ₹6 lakh after making her develop feelings.

Of late, we have seen truly bizarre online scams taking place. People posing as CEOs and celebrities asking employees for money because they were stuck in some odd situation. And now, in the latest case, a Japanese woman has been scammed out of about ₹6 lakh after a fraudster posing as an astronaut duped her. The fake astronaut reportedly convinced her that he was in space and wanted to escape a dangerous situation in a spaceship where he was running out of oxygen, as reported by CBS.

The scammer posed as an astronaut. (Google Gemini)

By Shaurya Sharma

Shaurya Sharma is the Technology Editor at Hindustan Times Digital Streams, where he oversees technology coverage across digital and social platforms. With over eight years of experience across editorial, video production, and digital media, his work focuses on smartphones, AI, consumer gadgets, and shaping audience-first content strategies for modern tech consumers.

He began his career in 2018 as a fashion cinematographer before turning his lifelong passion for technology into a profession. From spending his childhood immersed in tech magazines, video games, and the latest gadgets to covering the global consumer tech industry today, technology has remained a constant throughout his journey.

Over the years, Shaurya has worked with some of India’s leading media organisations, including CNN-News18, Sportskeeda, and Guiding Tech, where he led video initiatives that combined strong editorial storytelling with engaging visual and social-first execution.

A graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication from Manipal University, Shaurya has reviewed hundreds of products across categories including smartphones, laptops, gaming consoles, cameras, and wearables. Beyond work, he is passionate about animal welfare, environmental causes, and automobiles, particularly turbo-petrol cars

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Scammer Posed As Astronaut In Trouble

CBS says that the woman fell in love online with a self-described astronaut who ultimately ended up asking her for help, according to the police. The woman is from Japan’s Hokkaido and reportedly came into contact with the scammer in July earlier this year on social media, where he pretended to be a male astronaut.

After some time and exchanges, the scammer asked the woman for help. He claimed that "he in space on a spaceship right now", “under attack and in need of oxygen.” The scammer ultimately persuaded her to help him escape the situation and to get oxygen. He eventually managed to convince her to transfer 1 million yen, which is about 6,700 dollars or around ₹lakh.

What was the modus operandi? Like most romance scams, the woman in this case was lured by the scammer, who succeeded in getting her to develop feelings for him after their online conversations took off.

What Do You Need To Be Safe?

If you know someone elderly or too naïve to recognise a suspicious situation, step in before they fall for it. And if you receive such messages yourself, reject them outright. After all, why would an astronaut ask you for oxygen, or be able to buy it in space? It is absurd. Always stay alert and cautious with online communication.

Also, never click on random links. They can swindle you out of your money. Double or even triple-check a link’s authenticity and verify the sender before opening anything.

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