He promised to marry her once he returned to earth. She believed him and dreamt of a ‘happily ever after’. What could be the ideal love story soon turned out to be one of the scams that not only broke the internet but left people in shock in Japan – where such scams seem to be on the rise.
A man, who claimed to be a Russian astronaut, allegedly scammed a Japanese woman into believing he would marry her once he returned to earth. He said he was working on the International Space Station and coerced the woman into paying for his ‘return ticket’ from space, according to the Independent.
The man reportedly contacted the 65-year-old victim on Instagram in June. The duo began chatting on a Japanese messaging app and soon he promised to marry her after returning to Earth.
“I want to start my life in Japan. Saying this 1,000 times won’t be enough, but I’ll keep saying it. I love you,” he told the woman to win her trust before telling her that he needed money to return. He said the cost to return to Earth also included the money to buy a rocket to fly to Japan.
The woman, fully convinced by his stories and promises, paid him around 4.4 million yen (about £25,000) in total in five separate payments.
She eventually grew suspicious once the man grew more demanding, following which the police launched an investigation in the matter.