A Japanese octogenarian was swindled out of about ¥1 million ($6,700) after falling in love online with a self-described astronaut who sought her help to avert a spaceship crisis, police said Tuesday.

The woman in Hokkaido met the fraudster in July on social media, a local police officer said, describing the case as a "romance scam."

After some exchanges, the scammer one day told her he was "in space on a spaceship right now" but was "under attack and in need of oxygen," the official said.

The scammer then urged her to pay him online to help him buy oxygen, and successfully hoodwinked around ¥1 million out of her.

The woman lives alone and started developing feelings for him as their online communication progressed, local media, including Hokkaido Broadcasting, said, quoting investigative sources.

"If a person you meet on social media ever demands cash from you, please be suspicious of the possibility of scam, and report it to the police," the official said.

Japan has the world's second-oldest population after Monaco, according to the World Bank, and older people frequently fall prey to various forms of organized fraud.

These include the classic "it's me" scam, where perpetrators impersonate family members in trouble to extract money from the victim.

Elderly people can also be cajoled into using ATMs to get nonexistent "refunds" of their insurance premiums or pensions, police have warned.