Fake TikTok doctor gave sex advice
A fake doctor whose TikTok videos giving advice on reproductive and sexual health were viewed more than 15 million times has been convicted in court.
Dalya Karezi was sentenced at Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday after pleading guilty to two charges brought by heath regulator, Ahpra.
Karezi uploaded more than 50 videos to her TikTok account using the handle “dr.dayla.s” over the course of about 15 months during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Frequently depicted wearing medical scrubs and a stethoscope, Karezi discussed health issues with her 243,000 followers as well as on Instagram.
Karezi claimed in emails beginning in 2019 that she was authorised or qualified in medicine despite never being registered with the Medical Board of Australia.
The emails contained a variety of signatures, including the title “Dr”, despite not having a doctorate, as well as a range of qualifications, including being an OBGYN intern.
Karezi was sentenced by deputy chief magistrate Theo Tsavdaridis to a two-year community corrections order and ordered to pay Ahpra’s legal costs of $13,300.
Ms Tsavdaridis noted in court that Karezi had made the posts during lockdown when people were confined to their homes and received health information on social media.
Ahpra chief executive Martin Fletcher welcomed the outcome, stating: “Falsely claiming to be a medical practitioner, including on social media, puts the public at risk.”
Medical Board of Australia chair Anne Tonkin said it was important for the public to trust health professionals and hoped the outcome was a “strong deterrent”.
“Registered medical practitioners have done years of training and must abide by strict codes of conduct. It’s not just putting ‘Dr’ in your name and wearing a pair of scrubs,” she said.
Ahpra charged Karezi with taking or using a title falsely indicating that she was a qualified medical professional.
Karezi was also charged with indicating that she was a medical practitioner under the country’s National Law, which regulates the health industry.
