What began as a dream for many to find love and build a family turned into a horrifying nightmare—a financial and emotional scam targeting women in India and even Australia.
The Pune Cyber Police revealed on June 26 that a 40-year-old divorced woman registered a complaint after being conned of ₹3.6 crore by an accused posing as “Dr. Rohit Oberoi”, later identified as Abhishek Shukla. Presenting himself as a charming and well-settled groom, Shukla deceived women into trusting him and looted their hard-earned money.
The number of victims has grown since the case surfaced. Women from Delhi, Mumbai, Malad, and even Australia have come forward, having been promised marriage by Shukla.
A Mumbai-based victim told FPJ how he gained her trust through fabricated stories, later coaxing her to ‘invest’ using his “expertise” to double her money—his fee would be “your smile.”
Shukla portrayed himself as a lonely orphan raised by his maternal grandmother. The woman, who was in a relationship with him for two years, says he pressured her to introduce him to her family and abruptly ended contact in January 2025. He reconnected in May and, on June 19, urged her to invest in a Mumbai hotel and mobile apps. She wisely refused. He had arranged to meet her for dinner on June 25—one day after he was arrested at Mumbai Airport.
A Mumbai-based victim told FPJ how he gained her trust through fabricated stories, later coaxing her to ‘invest’ using his “expertise” to double her money—his fee would be “your smile.” |
Orphan story was fabricated
Post-arrest, the woman discovered that Shukla’s backstory was false: his parents are alive (father an advocate in Allahabad, brother a senior Amazon executive), he is married with a 12-year-old child, and the orphan story was fabricated.
The victim now feels emotionally shattered and suspects his wife may have been complicit.
Another victim from Malad said, “Shukla rented a flat in Malad in 2020. Many girls visited the flat. He used fake profiles on matrimonial sites, posing as a wealthy, settled professional. He spoke gently, showed concern, promised marriage, built emotional ties, and then manipulated them into transferring money.”
Several more victims from Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, and Australia are preparing to file statements, alleging similar fraud by Shukla.
Cyber expert Advocate Rohan Nyayadhish advised, “Stop trusting online profiles too soon. Always verify authenticity before sharing numbers. Avoid uploading your Aadhaar or PAN to matrimonial platforms—they empower fraudsters. Digital authentication is needed but missing.”
Senior Inspector Swapnali Shinde of Pune Cyber Police told FPJ, “The investigation is ongoing and more victims are coming forward. This appears to be a network, not a one-man operation. We urge people to file complaints in Cyber Police Station.”
Screenshots shared by victim |
Shukla, under the alias Dr. Rohit Oberoi, connected with a 40-year-old divorced woman from Kharadi on Shaadi.com and promised to marry her. Gaining her trust, he lured her into a fake ‘start-up investment’ scheme, claiming access to funding. The woman, who had recently received ₹5 crore in alimony, transferred ₹3.6 crore to Shukla across four bank accounts, including one in Singapore.
Police have alerted citizens to exercise extreme caution on matrimonial and dating platforms. The
