A TIKTOK influencer has been arrested for allegedly posing as a doctor, giving out medical advice, and trying to sneak into a hospital.
Matthew Lani, 27, managed to garner some 300,000 followers on the social media platform allegedly under the guise of medical expertise.
He is accused of stepping things up a notch this past weekend by attempting to enter a Johannesburg hospital while dressed like a doctor, with a surgical mask and a stethoscope around his neck.
South Africa's Gauteng department of health confirmed in a statement on Sunday: "Lani was caught just before 8pm disguised in a hoodie and wearing a surgical mask with a stethoscope around his neck.
"He had previously entered the same facility to curate misleading content under the pretence that he was a qualified doctor."
The health department claimed Lani tried to escape security guards after being apprehended at Helen Joseph Hospital by jumping through a bathroom window.
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He was caught again and handed over to police.
Dramatic footage of Lani being held down by security guards has gone viral on social media.
It shows him wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with a picture of SpongeBob SquarePants and gripping a surgical mask.
A security guard waves a stethoscope at him, which Lani insists does not belong to him.
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People rushed to comment on the unfolding situation.
One person wrote: "Next thing he's live tomorrow morning!"
Someone else said: "Maybe he staged this too."
Another said: "I've been waiting for this day."
Another commented: "Poor Dr. Mathews Lani arrested while he was doing his night shift."
Lani had more than 300,000 followers on TikTok before his account was closed and he created a new one, which currently has more than 57,000 followers.
The first post on his new account features a video of him looking ahead with text that reads: "When surrounded by noise. Be quiet. Let them believe what they wanna believe."
His arrest followed a weeks-long manhunt launched as questions were raised about his qualifications.
The 27-year-old claimed to have received a medical degree from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, but neither graduated from the institution nor obtained his school-leaving certificate, the BBC reports.
It is alleged Lani tried to mislead authorities by saying his real name was Dr Sanele Zingelwa, who is a real second-year medical intern at the Tembisa Provincial Tertiary Hospital.
The BBC reports Dr Zingelwa has opened a criminal case against Lani, accusing him of fraud.
There have been about 124 arrests related to impersonating a doctor in South Africa in the last three years, according to the Ministry of Health.
Earlier this month, an Australian TikToker dubbed the real-life Walter Mitty was revealed to be a fraud after she gave health and sex advice to thousands while wearing fake scrubs.
Dalya Karezi, 30, pretended to be a doctor and gave people unqualified support on how to solve their very serious problems.
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She dressed up in a doctor's outfit, used fake medical acronyms to “prove” her status, claimed to have a degree, and told people she had a real job as a medical professional.
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