Robert Becker, 34, is accused of posing as a doctor and conning dozens of patients out of thousands of pounds at bogus clinics. He allegedly duped almost 40 victims, including children, out of more than £40,000 from consultations while also handing out medication that could have put lives at risk.
Alleged scheme at fake surgeries
Becker is said to have pretended to be a doctor, psychologist, and pharmacologist at fake surgeries in Edinburgh and Dalkeith, Midlothian. He now faces 89 charges on a 22-page charge sheet spanning from September 2022 to August 2025. The case was called for the first time at the High Court in Glasgow last week.
It is alleged Becker “operated a fraudulent clinic” at the two properties in a scheme to “obtain money in payment for medical services”. He is said to have launched a website setting himself up as a doctor, neuropsychologist, cognitive psychologist, and pharmacologist while claiming to have the proper qualifications.
Fake credentials and risky medication
Court papers state Becker did all this to “create the impression” to persuade others that he was “qualified to diagnose mental health disorders and prescribe medication” to treat patients. It is claimed he displayed certificates in the clinics to make him appear genuine. Prosecutors go on to list a series of named individuals that Becker allegedly conned.
Among the many claims are that he “culpably and recklessly” provided medication to those who came to see him and exposed them to the “risk of injury to their health and to the danger of life” by doing so. One man is said to have paid him up to £10,000 alone, including claims he injected him with vitamin B12, took his blood pressure, and provided class C drugs and other medication.
Victims and charges
Listed among the people who met Becker are those who allegedly paid him a four-figure sum for his “services”. One charge states he got £1,400 from a woman, telling her she didn’t have depression and diagnosing her with another mental condition. He is further accused of accessing “confidential” information on a number of people, such as medical records, and telling some not to take medication they had already been prescribed.
Becker also allegedly had paid consultations with two teenagers after their parents contacted him. It is claimed he told the dad of one that he worked with pharmacies and the NHS. Another charge alleges Becker told one person he had been a paramedic.
Legal proceedings
A further accusation states he was subject to an “undertaking” to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court in April last year. A condition was that he was not to prescribe “medication to any members of the public” in the meantime, but it is claimed Becker flouted the order. The indictment also lists drug supply and possession charges including diazepam and methyltestosterone.
Michael Anderson KC, defending, told the hearing that Becker, of Dalkeith, pleads not guilty to all charges. A date for the case has been pencilled in for September next year in Edinburgh. There will be a further hearing later this year. Becker remains on bail.
