An impostor Facebook (FB) page is using medical practitioner Liza Ramoso-Ong to endorse a lotus root powder that allegedly helps people lose weight. This supplement is not registered with the Food and Drug Administration.
The fake page Dr. Liza Ramoso Ong created an ad post on Nov. 5 that read in part:
“Ang lotus root powder ay… may epekto ng pagpigil sa labis na timbang, labis na katabaan, pagtatae, mga digestive disorder na dulot ng bakterya, pagbabawas ng kolesterol sa dugo.”
(Lotus root powder has… an effect in stopping excess weight, excess fat, diarrhea, digestive orders caused by bacteria, [and] reducing blood cholesterol.)
The bogus page was created on April 27 under the Vietnamese name Nếu giờ (If now). Its name was changed to Dr. Liza Ramoso Ong the same day the fake ad was published.
To appear legitimate, it carried a flipped version of a 2016 profile picture from Ramoso-Ong’s official Facebook account.
Ramoso-Ong previously told VERA Files Fact Check that impostors do use her name and that of her husband, Doc Willie Ong, as well as their photos to sell products online.
The post from the bogus FB page carried a link to a website, a similar modus observed in another fake health supplement ad.
Dr. Liza Ramoso Ong’s fake post got a total of 1,800 interactions.
As popular medical vloggers, Ramoso-Ong and Doc Willie Ong have been used by bogus FB pages and fake ads for product endorsements. (Read VERA FILES FACT CHECK: Doc Willie Ong DID NOT endorse anti-arthritis supplement)
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(Editor’s Note: VERA Files has partnered with Facebook to fight the spread of disinformation. Find out more about this partnership and our methodology.)
