FACT CHECK: Video ad promoting joint pain cure is fake

2 weeks ago 7

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Dr. Ofelia Samar-Sy says neither she nor the Philippine Orthopedic Center endorses the unregistered product

Claim: The Philippine Orthopedic Center posted a livestream video of Filipino physician Ofelia Samar-Sy advertising a cure for arthritis and joint pain.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: A Facebook page claiming to be the Philippine Orthopedic Center posted a video advertisement on May 12. As of writing, the video has garnered 17,000 views, 73 likes, and 18 comments.

The post presented a supposed livestream video of Dr. Samar-Sy endorsing a cure for arthritis and joint pain. The video also displays several Facebook users commenting on the livestream, either endorsing it or supposedly saying they would buy it.

In the video, she claims that the product is officially used by the POC and that it has cured 3 million patients. She further says that the product is safe and effective, having been approved by the Department of Health (DOH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The advertisement also alleges a partnership between the POC and PhilHealth to provide 70% financial support for those who will purchase the product. A website link was included in the caption for the order form.

The facts: The video ad is manipulated. Dr. Samar-Sy, the doctor seen in the video, clarified that she’s not promoting the product.

“This is a deepfake simulation created without my consent, falsely using my identity and the name of the Philippine Orthopedic Center to promote a product I have never endorsed which in fact may be harmful,” she wrote in a statement posted on Facebook on Saturday, May 17.

She added that the product has no FDA approval and therefore should not be bought, contrary to what she is made to have said in the edited video.

The video was edited to look like a livestream, complete with a fake viewer count and comments from supposed users, expressing interest in the product.

Fake Facebook page: The Facebook page that posted the advertisement merely copied and used the official logo and other content of POC. It has only 27 likes and 40 followers compared to POC’s official Facebook page, which has 10,000 likes and 13,000 followers

POC has also already warned the public against fake pages claiming to be them. “The [Department of Health] continues to enjoin the public to source information only from legitimate sources and platforms,” it said.

Furthermore, the fake page’s transparency report indicates that its administrators are based in Vietnam.

ALSO ON RAPPLER

Fake website: The link provided in the caption directs to a fake POC website containing its official logo, as well as websites of the DOH and the FDA.

The website contains dubious information about a product called “Turmeric & BeeVenom Plus” — including its photos, details, benefits, and more. There are also fake product recommendations and reviews from doctors and consumers, and an alleged order form.

This order form requires buyers to input their name, phone number, and address, potentially exposing the public to phishing attempts (READ: Phishing 101: How to spot and avoid phishing).

Not registered: Based on the FDA’s list of registered products, “Turmeric & BeeVenom Plus” is indeed unregistered.

Debunked: Rappler has fact-checked several false claims involving “Bee Venom” products and deepfake content:

– Lyndee Buenagua/Rappler.com

Lyndee Buenagua is a third year college student and an alumna of Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship of Rappler for 2024.

Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.

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