Woman scammed by man posing as stranded astronaut claiming he needed money to buy oxygen

The victim was told the fake astronaut's spaceship was 'under attack'.

The 80-year-old Japanese woman sent money to an online fraudster who convinced her that he was stranded on a spaceship and needed to buy oxygen.

They met on social media earlier this year in what police have described as a romance scam.

The scammer had told the woman early in their relationship that he was an astronaut, eventually telling her he was 'in space on a spaceship right now' and was 'under attack and in need of oxygen.'

Police in Hokkaido said the victim was then persuaded to transfer him around one million yen (£5,000).

Officers have warned people of fraudsters using romance as a scam, preying on those seeking love.

They warned people to be suspicious if they are asked for money from people they meet online.

Sky News went undercover last October in a scam centre in Cambodia, reporting on how an industry of fraud factories has spread across southeast Asia.