Abroad in Japan Fake Astronaut Scams Japanese Woman Out of $6,700
Sep 15, 2025
This episode dives into the whimsical world of Tokyo, where the hosts share quirky anecdotes about an alpaca music festival and the jovial chaos of wearing kimonos. The conversation shifts to the vibrant Sensoji Matsuri, sprinkled with tales of Yakuza tattoos and festive fun. A darker twist emerges with a bizarre story of an elderly woman scammed by a fake astronaut, shining a light on the serious issue of romance scams. Finally, they wrap up with mouth-watering discussions about Japan's street food delights and breakfast treasures.
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Matsuri Grandma Helps With Yukata
- Listener 'Old Christian from Norway' shared a Sensoji Matsuri experience where local grandmothers helped him adjust his yukata publicly.
- The hosts laughed about Matsuri interactions and the eccentric helpfulness of obasan grandmothers.
Hosts React To Absurd Space Scam
- The hosts framed the scam story as 'Scammed in Space' and joked about the absurdity of needing money for oxygen in orbit.
- They compared it to other creative scams like deepfakes and praised the scammer's inventiveness while noting the human cost.
Elderly Woman Scammed By Fake Astronaut
- An 80-year-old woman in Hokkaido befriended an online astronaut and sent him ¥1,000,000 when he claimed he needed oxygen during a space attack.
- Chris Broad and Pete Donaldson described the scam as creative but sad, highlighting loneliness as a vulnerability.