Adelaide, Australia – Yet another teen has been arrested for impersonating a physician, in Australia this time. Friday the unidentified 17-year-old was detained on suspicion of prescribing medications, and donning fake medical credentials and scrubs. He’s being charged with aggravated assault and identity theft.
This “ Dr. Who ” suspect is one in a string of reports from as far back as October, of a young so-called doctor parading around hospitals in Adelaide. In each incident the teen was caught and tossed from the hospital grounds. On one occasion he assisted in the treatment of a 12-year-old girl injured in a scooter accident. The teen was ousted as a hospital volunteer for “inappropriate behavior” back in November 2011.
Impersonating a medical professional is a serious liability to hospitals, employees, and patients. Staff depends on the assumed skill of the individual donning the false persona and patients listen to their ill-instructed health advice.
As a result of his actions, the South Australian health department will be implementing more strict security measures.
The wannabe teen physician’s behavior is indicative of 18-year-old Matthew Scheidt , the “ Catch Me If You Can ” youth arrested in September 2012 after he was caught impersonating a physician’s assistant in a Florida hospital. He too performed unauthorized procedures on patients including dressing wounds, CPR, and seeing vulnerable patients disrobe.
These cases are reminiscent of teen conman Frank Abagnale, when as a young man had a history of being a charlatan, check-forger, impostor, and escape artist. He’s renowned for claiming to have assumed several false identities including airline pilot, a doctor, a US Bureau of Prisons agent, and a lawyer. Abagnale is now 64. After serving time in prison he became a security consultant.
South Australia’s Criminal Law Consolidation (Identity Theft) Amendment Act 2004 outlaws assuming a false identity of another person, living or dead, real or fictional, natural or corporate, and representing one-self under false pretenses, even if the person acts with the consent of the person whose identity is falsely assumed. Representing under false pretense is a serious criminal offence. In Australia, each state has enacted laws that deal with different aspects of identity or fraud issues.
Why do you think there is a sudden uptake of young men posing as medical professionals?
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