The 65-year-old struck up an interaction with a man on Instagram who told her he needed thousands of dollars – to return to Earth.

The woman, from Higashiomi City in Shiga Prefecture, began talking to the man in June. He told her he worked aboard the International Space Station.

After declaring his love to her and proposing, as news outlet Yomiuri Shimbun reports, he said they could get married upon his return to Earth but that he needed money for “landing fees” – in addition to “rocket expenses”.

The woman sent him five payments totalling 4.4 million yen, about $30,000.

Eventually, however, she realised what was happening and called the police.