Doctor who? A man with no qualifications posed as a doctor for 30 years

The Guardia Civil has arrested a 56-year-old Malaga man for allegedly practising medicine without any qualifications for more than 30 years and swindling more than €300,000 from two of his patients alone.

The investigation began in January 2023 following a complaint from two people who reported that a man could be practising as a doctor without having any qualifications. They were unhappy with the results of his extremely expensive treatments. After complaining to the doctor, they became suspicious.

The first steps taken by the police revealed that a large number of people, usually with bone and joint pain problems, were coming to a house in Torre de Benagalbón which the man under investigation was using as a private practice. “They thought that their illnesses were being treated by a registered rehabilitation doctor, when in fact he lacked any qualifications”, said a police spokesperson.

Once arrested police found various documents and medical reports, blood tests, ultrasound scans and MRI scans of several people, as well as two agendas containing appointments of clients and their subsequent charges for the treatments received. The documents were stamped with a seal showing the name of the ‘doctor’ together with a false registration number.

As well as posing as a doctor without any qualifications, the arrested man was also working as a university lecturer without any qualifications. The Guardia Civil‘s investigations determined that the man had been practising as a doctor for more than 30 years. The investigation continues and patients of the doctor are urged to get in touch with police.