Fake IVF specialist preys on trusting victims
Date published
July 2018
Relevant impacts: Financial impact, human impact and reputational impact
A Victorian man falsely claiming to be a qualified in vitro fertilisation (IVF) specialist performed a range of treatments on 30 victims. The man who never studied medicine:
- deliberately deceived his victims
- defrauded them of $370,000
- performed invasive procedures on their bodies.
Some victims lost the opportunity to conceive a child through legitimate IVF providers. The court found the man:
- acted without regard for the effects on his victims (who were desperate to fall pregnant)
- breached the trust they had in him
- encouraged false hope.
The man was sentenced to a minimum of 6 years and 6 months in prison. He will also be a registered sex offender for life.
Related fraudster personas
Related countermeasures
Assess the integrity of new employees, contractors or third parties such as by having entry level checks, probationary periods, suitability assessments or security vetting.
Confirm the identity or attribute of the individual.
Evidence of identity should be collected and verified using policies, rules, processes and systems to make sure only known, authorised identities can gain access to information stored in networks and systems.
Verify any requests or claim information you receive with an independent and credible source.
Allow clients, staff and third parties to lodge complaints about actions or decisions they disagree with. This may identify fraud or corruption as a cause for complaints, such as a failure to receive an expected payment.
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