Fake Astronaut Takes ₹ 24 Lakh From Woman To ‘Return To Earth’, Marry Her

A conman, posing as an astronaut, allegedly duped a woman of 4.4 million yen ( INR 24.8 lakh) after claiming that he would need that sum of money to return to Earth and marry her.

The 65-year-old woman in Higashiomi City met a man on Instagram who claimed to be a Russian astronaut working aboard the International Space Station. He promised to marry the woman once he returned to Earth. But for him to return to Earth, he told her he needed ₹24.8 lakh.

The woman, a 65-year-old resident of Shiga prefecture, met the fake astronaut on Instagram where he used to post random pictures of space. The man also claimed that he worked on the International Space Station (ISS) and had limited access to mobile phones.

The two soon started exchanging messages and later moved on to Line, a Japanese conversation app. A while later, the man told the woman that he had fallen in love with her and even proposed to marry her. He told the victim that he wanted to start a new life with her in Japan. “Saying this 1,000 times won’t be enough, but I’ll keep saying it. I love you” is one of the texts he sent to her.

When did he ask for money? Just here. The fake astronaut told her he needed money or “landing fees” to land on Earth. That money, he said, would also cover the cost for the aircraft to fly back to space.

The Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun reported that the victim sent him five payments between August and September totalling about US$30,000 ( ₹24.69 lakh) in a short period. When he kept asking for more money, the woman grew suspicious and reported the matter to the police.

The Police are investigating the matter.

Parvasi Media Group