Mumbai: Nikta M, a 48-year-old resident of Borivali, Mumbai, was defrauded of Rs 5.91 lakh by a scammer posing as Dr. Mohit Gupta, a rheumatologist of Indian origin based in America. She met him through a matrimonial website in July 2025.
Claiming to be deployed at the Gaza border during the Israel-Palestine conflict, Gupta said he couldn’t conduct financial transactions and needed funds to return to India to marry Nikta. He convinced her to send Rs 2 lakh to a Punjab and Maharashtra Bank account in Bengaluru for a leave application, Rs 1.9 lakh for an NBI certificate, and Rs 2 lakh for alleged tax clearance, involving a person named Lieberman.
Gupta shared an email address for someone named “Liberal” to facilitate the leave process, but further demands for money raised Nikta’s suspicions. When she questioned why he had no local contacts in India, Gupta’s vague responses confirmed her doubts about the scam.
On August 5, 2025, Nikta reported the fraud to the cyber helpline, prompting Borivali police to register a case on August 6 against Gupta and Lieberman under IPC Sections 66(A) and 66(D) of the IT Act, Section 3(5) for criminal conspiracy, and Section 318(4) for cheating under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The police are actively investigating to trace the accused and recover the funds, highlighting the risks of online matrimonial fraud.
