Fake cosmetic surgeon charged after allegedly injecting 4 women he met at Toronto dog park

Toronto police say a man has been charged after allegedly posing as a surgeon, then injecting four women with what they believed were Botox, Salmon DNA and Ozempic treatments.

Police say they arrested a 29-year-old man from Toronto Saturday on seven counts of assault with a weapon as well as a common nuisance charge.

Investigators allege the man approached four women at a dog park in downtown Toronto, near Bay Street and Queens Quay, where he posed as a surgeon at a local hospital and offered them cosmetic procedures out of his home.

Police say the women went to the man's home and received what they believed were injections of Salmon DNA, a skin treatment, along with Botox, a wrinkle-reducing shot, and Ozempic, a diabetes medication used off-label for weight loss.

The women became suspicious of the man's behaviour and contacted police after learning he was not qualified to perform the procedures.

A police spokesperson says it's still unclear what substance the alleged injections contained, but none of the victims had to be taken to hospital.

Police say there may be more victims

Scams where someone falsely identifies themselves as a doctor are not very common, Const. Cindy Chung of the Toronto Police Service said. 

But police are advising people to do their research and make sure you trust someone before accepting procedures from them. 

Similarly, people should verify products and sellers ahead of time if using online websites like Facebook Marketplace, Kijij and Craiglist, Chung said. 

"Do not send money to people you don't know," she said. 

Chung said police believe there may be more victims. 

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Toronto Police Service.