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A Florida woman posed as a licensed therapist online, offering unauthorized counseling to hundreds of patients over two years, state health department records recently revealed.

The fraudulent activity, which went unnoticed until her death, involved Tammy G. Heath-Randolph, 58, who, with the complicity of her wife, real social worker Peggy A. Randolph, conducted therapy sessions under false pretenses.

According to an investigative report by the Florida Department of Health, Heath-Randolph operated this scheme with the support of Randolph, her wife, in what was described as a "coordinated effort." The elaborate ruse included Heath-Randolph impersonating Randolph, using her login credentials to access a telehealth platform, and providing therapy services over the phone despite lacking any formal license or training in mental health.

Randolph, a licensed social worker in both Florida and Tennessee, was employed by Brightside Health, an online mental health service based in San Francisco, from January 2021 to February 2023. During her employment, Randolph was responsible for providing therapy to numerous clients via video calls.

However, in a settlement agreement with the Tennessee Department of Health, it was disclosed that while Randolph managed patients in person, Heath-Randolph illicitly treated clients through phone consultations, unbeknownst to them.

The deception came to light after Heath-Randolph's death on Feb. 11, 2023. A patient of Randolph discovered via social media that she had been covertly treated by Randolph's wife instead of Randolph herself. This revelation prompted the patient to report the incident to Brightside Health, which subsequently launched an internal investigation.

Brightside's inquiry revealed that Randolph had shared her login credentials with her wife, allowing Heath-Randolph to masquerade as a licensed therapist. As a result, Randolph's employment with Brightside Health was terminated on Feb. 28, 2023.

Randolph, residing in Ellenton, Florida, then voluntarily surrendered her social work licenses in both Florida and Tennessee and agreed not to reapply for them, according to the Tennessee settlement document. She was also fined $1,000 and held responsible for the costs associated with the investigation.

In response to the scandal, Brightside Health expressed deep disappointment in Randolph's actions.

"We're extremely disappointed that a single provider was willing to violate the trust that Brightside and, most importantly, her patients had placed in her, as trust is the foundation of the patient and provider relationship in both telehealth and in-person care," the company stated.

Following the exposure of the fraud, Brightside reassigned affected patients, issued full reimbursements for the treatments, and reported the case to federal authorities for further investigation.

Attempts to contact Randolph for comment by the New York Post were unsuccessful.