Fraudster Disguised As Gynaecologist:
On 13th July 2015, Precise Investigation published an article titled, “An Uncomfortable Thought: Even Your Doctor Could Be A Scam Artist.” The article referred to a case involving Dr Farid Fata, who purposefully misdiagnosed cancer patients as a means to maximise his income and managed to rake in over $17 Million from his unsuspecting victims.
Now, no more than three months later, we find ourselves reporting on a similar story; this time however, it’s not about money.
Raffaele Di Paolo, a 59-year-old man based in Melbourne, is facing 79 charges, including rape, after setting himself up as a practicing gynaecologist in the bustling city centre. Raffaele has no formal qualifications in any form of medicine, yet managed to work his way into one of Melbourne’s most respected fertility clinics, where he “specialised” in IVF treatments.
Di Paolo, born in Italy, was originally facing criminal charges for posing as a qualified medical practitioner, but has since been hit with many more. Rape, sexual abuse and committing at least $300,000 worth of fraud are amongst the 79 accusations that Raffaele faces as more than two dozen woman came forward to share their experiences as his patients.
The first set of allegations date back to January 2005, and the latest to come through are as recent as the end of last year.
Raffaele is currently out on bail until his next court hearing, which is set to go forward on 12th January 2016 – there he expects to hear the verdict of his healthcare-related crimes. Then, on 22nd January 2016, Mr Di Paolo and his lawyer will face the court again, this time in relation to his sexual harassment and abuse-related crimes.
If you would like to find out more about this story, you can find more information on The Age’s website, or simply by clicking here.
Precise Investigation has decided to shine a light on this topic once again to remind our readers that fraud isn’t as simple as a dodgy email that comes through to your junk folder every fortnight; fraudsters can take the form of even the most respected members of our society, using their titles as a means to gain our trust. Once they have it, they go on to abuse their power and inflict serious physical, emotional and financial damage on their victims.
How does this happen? How can someone with no formal qualifications pose as a doctor? The answer is simple – nobody checked.
Just because someone walks into your office with a piece of paper and a few references that say that they can do what you’re asking, doesn’t mean that they actually can. These days, fake résumés and illegitimate working experience are becoming more common; employers require certain levels of expertise in their lines of work and, when certain people can’t reach those expectations, they simply falsify their documents to make it seem as though they can.
Precise Investigation has faithfully served Australian businesses and individuals alike for thirty years. In every case we undertake, it is our first and utmost priority to know who we are dealing with; both the client and the accused. As such, we have developed one of the most accurate pre-employment review processes available to Australia, a service that any employer or government organisation can use to ascertain the truth and confirm whether a potential new employee is really who they say they are.
This service is also known as a professional background check, and we can seamlessly integrate bulk and once-off background checks into any recruitment process to give the employer in question the peace of mind they need.
Unfortunately, many people dismiss the idea as being “irrelevant” or “unnecessary,” but when your company is hit with criminal charges and a $300,000 bill to cover damages, it would seem that a quick, efficient and cost-effective background check may have been the best option.
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If you would like to find out more about our background checks in more detail before getting in touch with us, you can find all the information you need by following this link to our Background Checks page.
Precise Investigation has qualified and fully licensed field operatives based across the country, regularly servicing the likes of Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Hobart and even the more remote areas of Australia. If you’re ever in need of a professional Private Investigator, Precise Investigation should always be your first port of call.
