Impersonated a doctor on TikTok and gave dangerous advice/@blooddocdad
An Australian woman who introduced herself as a doctor on social media and provided countless health tips to her many viewers has been exposed as a sheer cheater - when it was discovered that she had been faking her profession all this time, The Sun reported.
Dalia Karazi pleaded guilty last Wednesday at Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court and was sentenced to two years of community service, Yahoo reported. She was also ordered to pay an $8,400 fine.
Karazi, who referred to herself as "Dr. Dalia.s" on Instagram and TikTok, admitted to wearing a fake doctor's uniform and revealed that she was never granted any authority to give medical advice. Through her main social media platforms, where she amassed 243,000 followers on TikTok and 20,000 on Instagram, Karazi gave health advice disguised as a specialist with advanced degrees in medicine and surgery. Karazi also went so far as to sign her emails and letters as RMO (local medical officer) and VMO (visiting medical officer) – deepening the magnitude of the fraud.
Dalia Karazi posing as a doctor on TikTok/Screenshot, Tiktok
The Daily Mail reported that Karazi submitted a 1,400-word letter of apology to the judge overseeing her case, saying she was "crying and still doesn't understand" how she got to this low point. "As I write this letter, I am crying and still do not understand how I got to this place - because it is very much not me and I never thought I would find myself in this situation," she began. "I have taken responsibility for my actions and I know there is no excuse for what I have done," Carzi's apology continued, "I am ashamed and hate myself every day. Having to tell my family and friends about my actions was extremely humiliating. I understand the serious consequences of my actions and I am truly sorry for what I did."
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And on Facebook/Screenshot, Facebook
Dalia Karazi, an Iraqi refugee who came to Australia in 2001 when she was 8, has no previous criminal record. The fake doctor was particularly popular among many Iraqis and Kurds in Sydney — and was recognized by many in the community as a women's health expert, according to The Sun.
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She gave medical advice based on nothing/screenshot, Facebook
During the trial, it emerged that her TikTok videos of health, fertility and sexuality advice had been viewed more than 15 million times and she uploaded more than 50 videos to her account over the course of about 15 months during the COVID-<> pandemic.
Carzi, who does have a bachelor's degree in medical science and a master's degree in reproductive medicine — but is not a doctor — said she would never work in the healthcare industry again and deleted all her social media accounts. She now works as a claims consultant for an insurance company, but she estimated she would lose her job if convicted.
Her letter ended with the words: "I did not want, and still do not want to, do anything health-related again, even though I spent so many years of my life studying and paying back student loans. I'm so scared of social media now that I don't even want to be on it at all. I'll never have social media accounts again."
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