An Adelaide court has found an Indian-origin woman guilty of falsely claiming to be a registered nurse, rejecting her defence as a series of “outright lies” and dismissing her claims she was duped by an online “guru”.

Harpreet Kaur, 33, was convicted on two counts of falsely representing herself as a health practitioner following a trial at the Christies Beach Magistrates Court.

The case centred on her use of a fraudulent registration certificate to secure work in Australia.

As per The Advertiser, the court heard Harpreet Kaur, who was trained as a nurse in India, had failed her Australian certification exams three times before obtaining the document.

It is further reported that she initially pleaded guilty to the charges in 2024 but later withdrew those pleas, arguing she had unknowingly purchased a fake certificate from an online operator who charged her $10,000 for training and documentation.

In her defence, as per The Advertiser, Harpreet Kaur told the court she believed the certificate was legitimate and denied any intent to deceive her employer or authorities.

However, it is reported that the Magistrate Luke Davis rejected her account, finding she had knowingly used a falsified document and had attempted to mislead the court.

He described her evidence as evasive and unconvincing, stating she gave explanations that were “inconceivable” and “absolutely ludicrous”.

The magistrate also dismissed her claim of being scammed, concluding she had been “in cahoots” with what he described as an “elusive, shadowy figure” and was aware her actions were unlawful.

While acknowledging that online scams are common, Magistrate Davis said the evidence against Kaur was overwhelming. He noted the certificate was clearly fraudulent, describing it as “bogus” and “doctored”, and said its lack of authenticity would have been obvious.

Harpreet Kaur now faces a maximum penalty of three years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $60,000. She is due to return to court next month for sentencing.

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