Scamfluencers - Dr. Teen Love, MD | Master of Deception

Episode Date: May 9, 2022

Malachi Love-Robinson, a sickly teenager from South Florida, has dreams of becoming a doctor someday. The only problem? He doesn’t want to wait. With just a white lab coat and a stethoscope, Malachi transforms himself into “Doctor Love” and launches a medical career. Unfortunately, as with all good scammers, he gets too ambitious, raising the stakes higher and higher, until one day, the “Doctor” meets the wrong “patient.”Please support us by supporting our sponsors!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hey, prime members, you can listen to ScanFluencers add free on Amazon music. Download the app today. Join Wondery Plus to listen to ScanFluencers one week early in ad free in the Wondery app. Download the Wondery app on your Apple or Google Play mobile app store today. Wondery Plus Sachi, how are you? You know. You know what? I have a photo that will cheer you up.

It will turn that frown upside down. Oh, turn it around, Sarah. Turn it around. Okay, can you please describe this photo for me? Okay. It appears to be a Sears stock photo of a young child, a teenager, 13 to 15 maybe. He's black. He has a bit of a fork going on. And he's also dressed up in a Halloween costume as a doctor. He's got a little lab coat and a blue stethoscope is around his neck.

You know, he looks quite angelic. Do you recognize him at all? I don't think I know who this is. This photo, Sachi, went so viral. It launched 1,000 memes on black Twitter. And I am literally dying to tell you the story behind this photo. Oh, it always stresses me out a little bit when you sound that gleeful.

Prepare to be stressed, my love. Okay, Satchie, I'm gonna take you back to February 2016. It's a beautiful sunny day in West Palm Beach, Florida. And Malachi Love Robinson walks up to the West Palm Beach medical plaza, wearing a white lab coat because he just opened his own practice. I'm a little stressed out that the person who opened this practice is the child. You just need to hear this. So he's walking up to the new birth, new life medical center. And Malachi makes his way up to sweet 303.

And he greets his three employees and he calls the name of a new patient so he walks her back towards the exam room and he starts taking her vitals. But he can't really seem to get an accurate reading. So you know what he moves on, he folds a blood pressure cuff around her arm, he raises it and lowers it a bunch of times. And he asks her what brought her in that day. And she says, you know, she's got this itchy throat and she's feeling lethargic. And Malachi seems like he's pretty sure he knows what's going on, but you know what,

prescribing medication, it's just not his style. I don't actually write scripts. What I do is I try to put you on as many natural and unnatural words and some of that can't, to kind of offset that. So basically what this doctor is saying is that, you know what, he wants to try a natural route first.

His diagnosis, she's just suffering from allergies. Not a big deal. He tells her he'll put her on as many natural supplements and herbs as he can, because, you know what, regular medicine, it's just too harsh. But the patient, she knows she's not suffering from allergies, turns out she's got her own diagnosis from Malachi. She reaches into her jacket and she takes out a badge. She's an undercover cop and she's been wearing a wire and secretly recording Malachi this

whole time. That's how we have tape of all this. And she tells him he's under arrest for impersonating a physician again. Again? Yes, he is under arrest again. Hi, I'm Lindsey Graham, the host of Wondries Podcast American scandal. Our newest series looks at the story of OxyContin, a popular painkiller that helps spur an epidemic of addiction and drug abuse, in which prompted a broad campaign to hold the pharmaceutical industry accountable. Listen to American scandal on Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts.

Many involved in crypto saw Sandbankman freed as a breath of fresh air from the usual Wall Street buffs, but in just one month, his crypto exchange would collapse. From Bloomberg and Wondery comes Spellcaster, a new six-part docu-series about the wild rise and fall of FTX and its founder, Sam Bankman Fried, listen to Spellcaster on Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts. From Wondery, I'm Sarah Haggi, and I'm Sachi Kohl,

and this is scam influencers. Okay, Sachi, I have to say right off the bat, I do have a soft spot for this kid Malachi. Okay, so you have sympathy for this fake child doctor. That's what you're telling me. Yeah, sympathy, a little bit of empathy. You know, it's really just the kind of scam that fascinates me because it's the kind where someone actually does start off with pretty good intentions. Right. And then over time,

they're corrupted by money or fame or influence, right? Exactly. But as you know, the healthcare industry in America is kind of already a scam if you think about it. Oh, yeah, it's literally all I think about. And you know, there are a lot of legal medical scams, but this one is so riveting because it involves grand theft. Several fake degrees, it's a huge cautionary tale

to always get a second opinion. I am really stressed out about where this is gonna go. Yeah, and this one is called Master of Deception. Okay, Sachi, to really understand where Malachi is coming from, I gotta take you back to 1997. The year Malachi is born in West Palm Beach, Florida, and that's not even like the super fancy, Mar-a-Lago part of town.

It's the working-class neighborhoods across from all the billionaire mansion. So as a boy, Malachi is diagnosed with lupus. And that's an autoimmune disease that makes a body attack its own tissues and organs. Do you know anything about lupus, Satchi? I know it's chronic, it's incurable, and it can be super serious,

it can lead to kidney failure, I think, in some of its more serious cases. Yeah, and it's intense. And Malachi is really sick as a kid, and his home life is a little rocky too. Those moms around, she's evicted from her apartment when Malachi is 16. When his Lupus gets really bad at around the age of 13,

he goes to live with his grandparents. And Malachi's struggles to treat his lupus. His grandparents say doctors load him up with steroids when he's little, but that only seems to make it worse. And according to his grandpa, William McKenzie, there are a few times where they're actually afraid Malachi might die. Oh, that's really sad and he's so young too to be that sick. Yeah, and Malachi might die. Oh, that's really sad. And he's so young, too, to be that sick. Yeah. And Malachi's grandpa is a minister, so their family is all about faith.

And they decide to go outside traditional medicine. They try some holistic treatments, and it helps, but he's still too sick to go to regular high school. So Malachi is homeschooled. And he said he's sped through high school and college, but some family members say he never actually finished high school. Okay, this is interesting, some like family lore that nobody can agree on.

I know, it's actually pretty mysterious and Malachi has this turbulent childhood and it teaches him that life is really fragile, that things like health and housing, you know, they're not really guaranteed. So he wants to make his mark on the world and he does not want to wait. Okay. So Malikai turns to what he knows, being a sick kid. He knows the medical system, but he doesn't fully trust it. You know, part of him reviews doctors and another part is like, shit, I could do that.

Mmm, something tells me that shit, he can't do that. Hey, you know what, let a kid dream. No, something tells me the answer to this is not let a kid dream. You're right. He thinks, why go to med school when you could fake it till you make it? And Malachi is about to fake it in a big, big way.

Oh, I live in dread. In January 2014, Malachi Love Robinson is 16. He's graduated from online school. And now he's walking up to Palm Beach County school district headquarters. And Malachi walks in with confidence, he has this easy smile and kind of a natural charm most scammers do. And he introduces himself as doctor love Robinson. And he says he's looking for a staff job with the school's medical academies,

as if he's just like turning in a resume at hot topic, I am afraid to ask you if this works for him. I mean, he's obviously a child telling people he's a doctor, so someone calls the school district police to report a suspicious person. And when confronted, Malachi folds immediately. He says he knows he's not a medical doctor and believes he has a compulsive liar. So they let him go after, I assume, telling him to not pretend to be a doctor anymore.

Okay, I would love to see that report. Yeah, it doesn't end there because later the school gets an email and it's from someone claiming to be Malachi's parent. And they apologize, but also say that Malachi does have legit degrees that could be provided for inspection. Something tells me that this letter is just as real as his several degrees. I mean, my absolute favorite part is a sign-off. At the end, it says, the parent of Doctor and then in brackets, Malachi love Robinson.

This is like when I was a kid and I had to fake a letter from a friend of mine, from their parents, a bunch of... A scribbles. Yeah. Illuminati symbols. You know, Malachi still doesn't give up. And his mind, the real problem was that he didn't have credentials

on hand to back him up. So he swears he won't make that mistake again. And Malachi goes where every Gen Z kid goes to solve him up. So he swears he won't make that mistake again. And Malachi goes where every Gen Z kid goes to solve their problems. The internet. About a year after failing to get a job as a doctor by just asking for one, Malachi goes to the website for the Universal Life Church. He's 17 now, another year older and even more determined, and U-Life offers a doctor in divinity for the low, low price of $39.95. Cheap, and Malachi gets a degree. He frames it and he starts identifying himself as Dr. Reverend Malachi Love Robinson.

And he buys a white lab coat and has his name, and just a whole bunch of official looking letters embroidered on it. Like it has DD and D-Min, which means, Doctorate of Divinity and Doctorate of Ministry. Hehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe You know, there's something really upsetting about the fact that anybody can just buy a lap coat and put a bunch of initials on it. Yeah, it's written in this way where it's like kind of cursive and the letters are all

kind of small. So you just see them and you think like qualified human being. Yeah, I mean, a badge can go a really long way. So in early 2015, he goes to a local hospital, St. Mary's Medical Center and West Palm Beach, and he just starts wandering the halls. Is he like leaving a trail of his resume behind? He is his resume.

He's wearing a coat and has a stethoscope, right? Malachi enters a patient's room during an exam. And Sachi, this isn't just any examination. Oh God. He's in the OB-GYN department. Malachi walks in on a pregnant woman's gynecological exam. Oh, absolutely not. Absolutely not.

Are you serious? Yeah, no, that's what he did. Yeah, that's a hard path. That is so many not. Are you serious? Yeah, no, that's what he did. Yeah, that's a hard pass. That is so wretched. It's so wretched. It's so wretched. And okay, this is so weird, but according to the police report,

Malachi was there with his cousin. What? Like, they lie and say Malachi is her husband. So like, I don't actually know for sure, but it might have been his cousin's exam, and she was like letting him audit or something. You know when your cousin's trying to pretend to be a doctor, so you let him watch your gyno exam

while you're pregnant? Oh, and he's like 16. Normal stuff, normal, cool, regular things. Yes, at least that's what it sounds like. I know we're not that deep into the story, but I do have to set off the scam alarm. This is so scammy. And I have a feeling this won't be the first time

you want to ring the alarm. So according to the police report, a patient blows the whistle on Malachi. They tell St. Mary's staff that, quote, a young black male who appeared to be a child was dressed as a doctor. This, that makes it sound like Malachi is like three kids in a trench coat

walking around calling himself Vincent Adultman. He is Vincent Adultman from Bojack Horseman. Yes. Get this. The actual OB-GYN in the room that day, Dr. Sebastian Kent tells reporters, I just thought, boy, they're getting out of med school quickly now. And no charges are filed, and he's still a minor at this point. So once again, they basically tell him, please don't do this, and they send him home. So, Satchie, imagine you're Malachi.

Okay. You already got the lab coat and the fake diplomas. What do you do next? I would hope that no one ever choked in front of me and yelled, is there a doctor here? Exactly. So Malachi, he still wants to help people and he wants to do it in the medical field. But he's starting to feel like traditional medicine. You know, it's not the right fit. He's not a traditional guy. Yeah, no shit. No. And just like when he was a kid, Malachi turns to the

world a alternative healing. And there, he can convince people that he's a real doctor and get paid for it. Wolf. About 20 minutes south of West Palm Beach, Dr. Lisa Sassetti runs a clinic called New Directions LLC. Lisa is a psychologist who specializes in neuropsychology. She's about 50 years old with dark, wavy hair, great bangs, and a bit of like a new AG vibe.

So think like silver necklaces, jewel tones, classic HBO therapist look. Yeah, I get it. Yes, exactly. Her clinic treats patients, struggling with addiction and brain trauma recovery. And in late spring 2015, she's looking to hire a new program director.

Oh no, this isn't gonna be good. Yeah, one of the applicants is a young man named Malachi Love Robinson. Now, Malachi has actually just turned 18, but he tells Lisa a very different story. She explains this to a local TV station WPBF and Sachi, you have to check this out. She said he was 28 and that he was sick for 10 years in France.

When he came to the United States, that they made a mistake and put his date of arrival on the birth certificate instead of his date of birth. And he claims to have a PhD in psychology from Arizona State University. And he provides transcripts, which are also fake, but it works. Lisa hires him as a program director and counselor.

He's making between $60 to $70,000 a year. And remember, he's a high schooler. To be fair, it's a big job. Doug Holman, manager of New Directions, says Malachi is involved in all daily operations. He was in every executive meeting, every clinical meeting because he came in and said he wasn't MD. And Sachi, he counsels patients by praying with them, listening to them, and giving them

spiritual advice. All right. I mean, now it sounds like he's life coaching. Yeah. I mean, it sounds like he's just simply paying attention to people. And he also advises medical doctors on staff if a client's medication needs adjusting.

Yeah, I mean, that seems like the part where this scam really goes beyond, because you don't want this child who doesn't actually have a medical degree to be messing with people's medication. There are a lot of long-term effects that can come from that even if it's happening in the short term.

I mean, that's really nefarious. Yes. And while Lisa and her staff are buying Malachi's story, not everyone is so easily fooled. Someone out there actually suspects the truth, and they're afraid he's gonna cause real harm. So they're about to take matters into their own hands. Oh God, finally. Yes, finally.

And I feel like a... In the summer of 2015, Dr. Love is riding high. He just turned 18. He's got a dream job, a good salary. He's finally doing the thing he loves, treating patients. Ah, yes, the thing he loves, but is in no way qualified to do. Exactly. And by now, some people in his life have challenged him. So, these concerned parties or at least one of them decides they cannot stay silent any longer. And in September, the Florida Department of Health gets an anonymous letter. And this letter is very juicy. Sachi, do you want to read some of these highlights? Certainly. Dear Department of Health. It says, Malachi love is impersonating a medical doctor,

a naturopathic doctor, and a psychologist, all while having absolutely no license in any jurisdiction. Please intervene. He is a very skilled con man. He's truly a danger to the general public. That line was with three exclamation marks. And in a truly legendary move, the letter is actually signed sincerely x with a giant drawing of an x. And then underneath that, it says

a concerned citizen. I mean, it is very serious, but the drama here, yeah, I mean, this letter is like like the riddler wrote it. So Florida's Health Department opens an investigation. Okay. But Malachi doesn't know about the concerned citizen. He's focused on other things, like figuring out ways to spend a $70,000 salary. Because now that he's a doctor, he wants a doctor lifestyle too. So, he ends up finding a way to scam even more money from his employer. Lisa Cicetti has been the owner of New Directions for four years and it has been a lot.

And in September 2015, just a few months after she hires Malachi, Lisa shuts down the clinic and lays off all the staff. Oh no, wherever will a fake doctor get another job. Maybe Lisa is a bit overwhelmed by selling her business, like maybe she's avoiding her bank statements, which is not unrelatable. And the first weird charge she clocks

is for something called next-day diploma. So Malikai want on a website to get bogus degrees, and he uses his boss' credit card to buy them. So such a teenager's way of doing a scam, is he buying more diplomas? Like is he just collecting them at this point? What is he doing with all of them? Yeah, it's unclear.

Honestly, like he has a job based on his medical experience, certainly. But what is so funny to me is that it's like, he's just kind of like, yeah, I guess I'll get some more diplomas. And Malachi charges a lot of things to lose his credit card. And he's not buying stuff like a PlayStation

or Air Force ones. Like he's paying bills, Malachi's paying cell phone bills, insurance bills, he pays off credit cards. And most endearingly, he buys a Nissan Rogue. He buys what he expects an adult to be driving. He gets something dependable, discreet, that no one could really look at and think anything distinctive of this car. Yeah, you're right. Maybe the choice is genius, because who's going look at a Nissan Rogue and be like, how'd that kid get that car? Like it could have been his dad's car, who knows?

Maybe he is the smartest boy in the world. Oh my God. And even after Lisa closes the clinic, Malachi keeps spending on her credit card for months. And all in all, Malachi racks up more than $40,000 in charges. Oh my God, why does he still even have her credit card? That is what I'm wondering.

So when Lisa finally notices, she confronts Malachi, and he owns up to it, and he cuts her check for $5,800. Okay, again, I am very bad at math, but that is like a tiny fraction of what he owes her. Yeah, it's a tiny fraction and it bounces. Oh, okay. All right, I've heard enough. I think it's time for a second scam siren in this story.

Mm-hmm. I mean, it's just such a specific number, you know? 5,800. It's so dumb in its specificity. It really truly is. I mean, you could argue that up to this point, he was really trying to help people. But I mean, charging a Nissan Rogue

to Lisa's credit card isn't helping anyone. And Lisa isn't the only one looking for answers. The authorities are on to Malachi too. The Health Department investigation, the one started by a concerned citizen ex from Gotham, is still going on. And they interview Malachi in October 2015. In the interview, he admits he has never attended

medical school and is not a licensed medical doctor. He also admits that his transcripts and degrees are fake. But he also says he considers himself as a medical doctor and as people refer to him as a medical doctor. Okay, well I consider myself the hottest person in the world, but apparently I am not factually that. So it's very confusing because it's like he's admitting the truth, but then he always adds a lie to it where he's like,

yeah, I didn't go to medical school and my transcripts and degrees are fake, but I do consider myself in some respects to be a medical doctor as an identity. Yeah, this is like a Rachel Dola's all. Defense. He's pulling a Rachel. all defense. He's pulling a Rachel.

And now with the rehab center and the investigation closed, Malci could have ended things. But instead, he decides it's time to go even further. He thinks, you know, why stop there? Why not open his own clinic? Several reasons why not. Yeah, there are a lot of reasons why he shouldn't. In the fall of 2015, Malikai has lost his new directions job, but he's still determined to pursue medicine.

And you can tell because he's still wearing his lab coat everywhere he goes, including when running an errand at his local T-Mobile. Okay, so he's been caught multiple times at this point, but he's just gonna keep trying to do this scam because he owns the coat. Yeah, he does identify as a doctor, so that makes it all better.

Okay, so yeah. What fresh child is he gonna unleash on a T-Mobile? Okay, well, get ready for this. The cell phone salesman who helps Malachi is this like clean shaven, clean cut guy name Perseus Wells. Perseus wears his hair military short and he loves a good button up. He and Malachi are both kind of these affable guys.

Like, they just have a way of setting you at ease, and they hit it off. And they discover they have a common interest. Alternative medicine. Great. Sounds great. Things are going really well for everybody. They're going so well. And Malachi tells Perseus his new goal to start his own clinic.

And Perseus gets it, like, he's excited. So he invests $10,000 to help Malachi open a business of his own. He hires two staff members. Malachi orders office furniture and exam room equipment. And of course, makes a website. And he needs staff photos. And since Malachi doesn't do anything halfway, he sets up a photo shoot.

And this is where we get the iconic Sears portrait photo of Malachi. Oh. Can you describe this one? All right, so Malachi's arms are crossed. There's two women behind him with their hands on their hips. I mean, the whole thing looks like a promotional image for like an ABC workplace comedy from 20 years ago.

Yeah, but you know, if Malikai has any ethical issues about this new clinic, it doesn't keep him from opening the doors. And what he doesn't know is that somebody is already on his tail. You know, I don't know about you, Sachi, but I love local reporters. And in West Palm Beach, there's one reporter who has cut her chops on long form investigative

stories. Her name is Terry Parker, and she works at the ABC News affiliate there, WPBF. She's got sleek brown hair, bright blue eyes. She's a pro. Yeah. But in early 2016, she's focused on a hot tip from someone who knows Malachi. Here she is explaining it on air.

Well, I got a call from a family member, first not identified. A couple of family members were actually terrified that he was going to hurt someone. People are getting concerned. And the family member who called Terry also called the health department. So Terry wastes no time. She heads over to new birth, new life and her camera crew captures the scene. First of all, Terry arrives in the waiting room and there is no one

there. A few minutes later, Malachi walks in wearing his lab coat and holding a takeout box. Love Robinson was surprised to see us in his waiting room by the greed to an interview. The first thing Love Robinson did was to slowly remove his stethoscope in lab coat and ensemble that numerous witnesses tell me he wears everywhere. So as you watch the video, he's slowly and sadly taking off his stethoscope.

And he drapes his lab coat over his chair. And he's down to his best attempt at business casual, a yellow plaid shirt and it's buttoned all the way to the top and it's tucked into these black jeans. And he pauses for a moment, hunched over behind his desk. Well, yeah, I mean, if I had to imagine, he'd probably recognize the optics of having to admit. Yeah, I mean, I don't have a medical degree and there he is wearing again, a lab coat and a stethoscope.

Yeah, I think it kind of hits him. And he stands behind the desk as Terry asks some questions. His wireframe glasses are perched on his head and he is clearly nervous. And Terry honestly hits him with some pretty basic questions. People are wondering, like, do you have any training to do this type of thing? Well, I actually, I only opened up the practice. We are hiring MDs and PA's to come and work within

the practice, which are going to follow the scope that I requested. When she asks if he's gone to college, Malik I takes a seat. And Terry leans on the desktop where patients check in and fill out paperwork. She has some paperwork of her own. She's got receipts. Terry unfolds printouts of websites, the new birth new life website, healthgrades.com, hipespace.com. And they all list, Dr. Love Robinson MD. You've got a lot of sites online all claiming that you're a doctor. Well, no, they don't claim medical doctor. I am aware of. If you could start recording, please I will lay like that. Malik eyes start from Terry to the cameraman and his hands are clasped on his lap. You can tell that inside he is freaking out. Oh God. Sarah, this is really unpleasant. It's like watching a child flail. Like I, I, I, I am really curious what he's thinking. What could possibly be going through his head at this point? He knows

he's built this scam for years and now he's fully caught, right? Yeah, I mean, maybe he's called himself doctors so many times that he's actually started to believe it, but whatever's going on in Malachi's mind, it doesn't seem to be the moment of true soul searching because of what he does next. He asks Terry to come back a few days later for a tour of the clinic.

And here's a clip, Satchy. A new birthday life medical center. Brand new, we've just got everything done and ready and started. This time, Malachi honestly looks thrilled to see Terry. He's not wearing a lab coat. He wears this dark gray sweater under a tan suit jacket and he beams with pride

as he shows Terry around this office he builds. Then he sits in his office for a formal interview, like one of those date line interviews with crazy house plans in the background. And don't worry, your boy is a humble scammer. It's not every day you find someone who's mentally capable to take on the role of wanting to be a physician at my age who's willing and capable to do so. And so many physicians say, speak to me, and they're just an all.

And it's not because I'm a great person, not because I'm some miracle from heaven's scent. It's just because I have a passion for helping people. He really is talking like one of the real housewives, don't you think? Absolutely, absolutely. So now Terry's on the case. And the health department is circling too. But in the meantime, Malachi is seeing patients.

And his serious lack of imposter syndrome is about to take this scam from deeply wrong to downright unforgivable. A few miles inland from West Palm Beach, Anita Morrison lives in a condo on this lush golf course. She's 86 and petite, she has this curly white hair. Honestly, she looks like a golden girl. And she's suffering from severe stomach pain. She sees doctor after doctor,

but not even specialists can help her. So around the holidays, when new births new life is just getting on its feet, Anita finds Dr. Malachi love Robinson online. And guess what? He makes house calls. Oh God, this feels like such an awful extension of the scam that he's like going to go to these people's houses and then give them care. Yeah, I mean, that's why he was able to do this because someone like Anita needs a doctor to make house calls. So Malachi arrives at Anita's house and he's wearing his usual lab coat and stethoscope. And he examines her heart, lungs, and legs.

And he diagnoses her with arthritis. He even buys her vitamins. So she calls Malachi to come to her home four more times for treatment and all in all Anita pays them about $3,500 for the visits with personal checks. Okay, I mean in the confines of the American healthcare system, $3,500 for a house call is, I don't know, it's probably on par, but it is a tremendous amount of money for vitamins. Oh, yes. And then one day Anita doubles over in pain. There's like a sharp shooting pain in her stomach, and she calls Dr. Love Robinson and asks him to come quick. Three hours later, he finally arrives. And Anita isn't so much pain that he calls 901 and as the EMTs are helping Anita

out the door, he suggests Anita leave her purse and keys behind. He says she shouldn't risk taking them to the ER because anything could happen to them. Okay, so is it safe to assume that she gives her keys and purse to this fake child doctor? Yep. I mean, he really capitalized on this very vulnerable moment. So later that evening, Dr. Love Robinson comes to check in on her and he recommends several tests. But when she asks her doctors, they say she doesn't need them.

Plus, they're expensive. At some point, he offered to give her a pap smear and a need of declines. Oh, no. That's dark. That's gross. Yeah, it's extremely messed up. Sarah, I know you have some kind of strange fondness

for Malachi, but at this point in the story, do you feel a little differently about him than you did at the beginning? I mean, clearly this is one thing to start taking like the most sinister and predatoryal turn in my opinion. This is inexcusable. Anita is a real victim in this situation, not Malachi. What he did was wrong.

Yeah. Somehow it gets worse. When Anita checks out, you know, she's trying to get back to her regular routine. So she goes to the bank where she discovers three of her checks have been cashed and she knows she didn't write them. They're made out to Dr. Malachi Love Robinson and the new birth new life medical center for a total of about $2,800. Okay. And that's on top of the $3,500 she already paid him for the house visits, right?

Yes. Okay, so he has now technically defrauded her of several thousands of dollars. Yes, and the bank even shows her a video of Malachi talking to a teller and convincing them to cash a checks without Anita present, and you better believe he is wearing his lab coat. You know, I'm starting to think it shouldn't be possible

for just anybody to buy a lab coat. No, and it's also making me realize that like, anyone wearing a lab coat can do anything, anything. He's just stealing money, and Anita is furious. She goes to the police and tells them she wants to pursue criminal charges. And she's not the only one looking for justice. Malachi doesn't know it yet, but the authorities have been tracking his every move.

And they're about to pounce. Anita files charges in 2016. And a few weeks later, a new patient shows up at Malachi's office. She says she's got an itchy throat and feels lethargic. Does she sound familiar to you? Oh, the undercover officer? Exactly. This is full circle now. And as soon as Malachi tells her to buy meds, the undercover cop busts him. Malachi is arrested and charged with practicing medicine without a license, and grand theft for stealing from Anita.

And guess who's on the scene covering it all? Oh boy, is it intrepid local reporter Terry Parker? Yes, it is our favorite person. Two deputies walk Malachi out of the building to the waiting squad car. Malachi still got his lab coat on and Terry's with them the whole way, holding her mic and peppering Malachi with questions.

And here she is talking to Malachi as he's let away in handcuffs. How do you feel now that all the people that believed in you that thought you know you know, you're talking about? I'm hurt because of the accusations and the allegations, but like I said, this is not the first time where I've been accused and I will pursue this. And when I do, you guys will know. You'll be the first to know, Ms. Parker.

What does that even mean? What does that even mean? I will pursue this. You could sense that he's a little bit scared. I mean, wouldn't you be? Like you could hear it in his voice, but also he's like, he cannot stop talking. Yeah.

Terry breaks the story, and that's when people like me, the residents of Twitter.com, go absolutely bananas. Sachee Malachai story becomes an internet sensation. There is only one time I could remember a day like this on black Twitter for someone getting caught doing something crazy. And that was actually racial, dull as all day. It really goes viral.

Sarah, I guess the big question I have is, is do you think Malachi is a scamful answer? Absolutely, I do. For Malachi, he wanted to be kind of a local influencer. As this goes on, he is addicted to this attention and this level of fame, and he really can't shut up. And every time he got caught, he found another way to pivot to keep doing it. And it does seem like respect and adulation was important to him. It wasn't just about quietly being a doctor. He needed to have the best facility, the newest facility,

he needed to be seen as like a renegade. Like it was attention was important. And attention is a big part of like the influencer marketplace. Exactly. Would you fall for this as like a member of the community or as one of his potential patients slash victims? I don't think so. I think my spidey sense on him would be tingling the whole time and I would be pretty uncomfortable and would probably bail real hard. And also if I did a cursory Google search on him

and came up with an article where he admits to not having a medical degree. I would bail real hard at that point. Yeah, as endeared as I am to him sometimes, I don't think I would fall for this. That's not to belittle those who did. No, it is ultimately a pretty believable scam. It's incredibly believable. I don't think I would fall for it only because you're so clearly

a child. Also, I just don't trust young doctors. I know. It's like, fundamentally, I cannot go to the doctor and be like, you are my age or younger. No. It is one of the few things where I am 100% like an ageist about this, that if I get a 24 year old doctor, I am building a rocket and sending myself to the moon. I know. I mean, Sarah, you and I are on the same page about this. We are baby. And we need our doctors to view us as baby.

I don't want to look at the doctor and think, oh, that's baby. No, I'm baby. I couldn't, I couldn't verbalize this. I didn't know until this moment that like, I inherently don't trust young doctors. No, I feel that way too. I think we can agree that the moral of the story

is do not trust a doctor who knows how to use their own online portal. Also, if you have a doctor and they have a bunch of weird initials on their lab, quote that they're wearing all the time, look up those initials. They might not stand for anything at all. Hey, Prime members! You can listen to ScanFluencers add free on Amazon Music. Download the Amazon Music app today, or you can listen add free with Wondery Plus and Apple podcasts.

Before you go, tell us about yourself by completing a short survey at Wondery.com slash survey. This is Dr. Teen Love, MD. I'm Sarah Haggi, and I'm Sachi Cole. We use many sources in our research. A few that were particularly helpful were Terry Parker's investigation of Malachi Love Robinson for WPBF News and ongoing reporting from the Palm Beach Post. Sarah Any wrote this episode, Additional Writing by Us, Sasha Cole and Sarah Hackie. Our senior producer is Jen Swan. Brian Taylor White is our producer and Charlotte Miller is our associate producer.

Our senior story editor is Rachel B. Doyle. Sound Design is done by Joe Richardson. Our music supervisor is Scott Velasquez for Freeson Sink. Additional audio assistants provided by Adrian Tapia. Our executive producers are Janine Cornelow, Stephanie Gens, and Marshall Lui for Wundery. you