Japanese Woman Conned Out of $30,000 by ‘Astronaut’ Who Promised Marriage But Was ‘Stuck’ in Space
Yahoo | 10/11/22 | Carl Samson

A fraudster has taken international romance scams out of this world by claiming to be an astronaut and conning a 65-year-old woman out of millions of yen, Japanese police announced last week.

Neil Strongarm?

The scam reportedly began when the pair corresponded through Instagram on June 28. The con artist, who has yet to be identified, claimed to be a Russian cosmonaut working in the International Space Station (ISS).

Major Tom-cat.

Romance between the two quickly blossomed. The “astronaut” eventually expressed his intent to marry the Japanese senior but said he could not leave the ISS unless he had enough money.

… a Mir technicality.

“Even if I say it 1,000 times and it won’t get across, I will keep saying it. I love you,” the trickster allegedly told the woman.

Sounds a lot like Groucho Marx to Margaret Dumont.

Straight Line of the Day: This year’s “Hilly” award goes to this guy. Runner-up scam of the year: …