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Don't get taken for a ride! Woman scammed out of thousands by 'Russian astronaut'
We often hear stories of people being scammed out of their hard-earned money by cruel criminals who exploit their victims' vulnerabilities.
Just last week, for example, we reported on a case in which scammers were posing as distressed relatives asking for a quick loan to tide them over.
Sadly, these cases are becoming more and more common as technology advances and makes it easier for scammers to target potential victims. That's why it's important now more than ever to be vigilant about who you're talking to online and be on the lookout for red flags that could indicate you're being scammed.
One Japanese woman recently learned this lesson the hard way after she was taken in by a person claiming to be, wait for it, a Russian astronaut who needed money to return to Earth so he could marry her.
The 65-year-old woman from Shiga Prefecture became acquainted with the 'astronaut' on a social networking site in June before they began communicating via the Line messaging app. According to police, the suspect repeatedly told her they loved her and proposed marriage over the course of several weeks.
Then, the astronaut asked the woman for money to cover the cost of a rocket and 'landing fees' on Earth. The woman accepted the request and transferred money to a bank account specified by the person between August and September.
But as the astronaut continued to ask her for more and more money, after sending the scammer an eye-watering total of 4.4 million yen (roughly AU$47,000), the woman became suspicious and consulted the police.
We've heard of some strange scams over the years, but this one is truly 'out of this world'... Source: OpenAI
Police are still investigating the case and trying to track down the scammer. In the meantime, they're reminding people to be cautious about who they're talking to online and to never send money to someone they don't know.
Unsurprisingly, the article received dozens of comments, from the sympathetic to the humorous, with one user remarking ‘Hey everyone. Stuck on Mars because Elon's prototype rocket to fly me back cannot be duly finished. Surely his little Twitter deal backs him from doing the necessary right now. Would you be kind enough to send my martian account a few billion dollars so I could make the refill of my reservoir? Indeed, here too oxygen has seen its cost in gas stations skyrocket.’
‘Ground control to major con’, said one user, channelling the classic David Bowie song. Another took it upon themselves to parody the Elton John song, Rocketman, saying:
‘When asked when he would repay the funds, the Ruskie astronaut said,
‘And I think it's gonna be a long, long time
'Til touchdown brings me 'round again to pay the fine
I'm not the man they think I am at home
Oh, no, no, no
I'm not a rocket man
Rocket man, burning out your cash up here alone.’
A further reply pointed out that the absurd nature of the scam was likely intentional, noting that scammers use techniques like this to identify particularly gullible people: ‘One of the strategies these scammers use is to make up situations that would be incredible for most of the people. By doing this they don't lose time trying to scam people that will eventually become suspicious and instead they can immediately focus on the people that are naive enough to believe even these impossible scenarios.’
Although we have to admit the sheer ridiculousness of this particular scam gave us a chuckle, we feel for the 65-year-old woman who was duped out of nearly $50,000.
As we’ve mentioned before, here are a few general tips to avoid being scammed:
- Be suspicious of anyone you meet online who quickly develops a strong emotional bond with you without having ever met you in person.
- Be wary of anyone who asks you for money, especially if they claim to be in a difficult or emergency situation.
- Do your research! If you’re ever unsure about someone’s story, try conducting a simple Google search of their name or profile picture to see if you can find any information that could confirm or dispel their story.
- If in doubt, always err on the side of caution. Don't be afraid to talk to friends and family and ask them to do a 'sense check' of the situation.
- And finally, remember that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is!
You can also check out our free eBook on avoiding cyber scams by clicking here.
