{
  "id": 449287,
  "title": "Victorian health watchdog issues warning over alleged fake doctor",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/10/victorian-health-watchdog-issues-warning-over-alleged-fake-doctor",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-10T07:24:07.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ABC News AU",
    "slug": "abc-news-au",
    "url": "https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-10/melbourne-alleged-fake-doctor-warning-health-complaints/107017114"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Victorian Health Complaints Commissioner has issued an interim prohibition order against Assma Samadi, a Melbourne woman accused of posing as a doctor and charging $20,000 for unauthorized treatments. Samadi, an unregistered health practitioner, allegedly provided treatments to a patient with a chronic illness while illegally supplying unapproved medications. Police charged her in July with steroid trafficking, drug possession, and common assault. The commissioner stated that Samadi may have violated the Code of Conduct under the Health Complaints Act 2016 and that publishing the warning warning is necessary to prevent imminent harm to individuals or the public. The health watchdog encourages the public not to engage with Samadi for any health services. Samadi is set to face court on October 19 alongside a 39-year-old man from Brighton East, who was also arrested and charged for the same offences.",
  "summary": "The Victorian Health Complaints Commissioner has issued a public warning about a Melbourne woman who is alleged to have charged $20,000 for unapproved treatments while pretending to be a doctor.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}