A Facebook (FB) page uploaded an old video advertisement for a product that allegedly treats arthritis and is supposedly promoted by cardiologist Willie Ong and his general practitioner wife Liza Ramoso-Ong. This ad is fake.
The ad featured clips of the couple discussing gout symptoms and treatments and supposedly endorsing Arthrelief, a product which claims to cure swollen joints, gout, rheumatism, osteoarthritis and other arthritis types. Clips of patients who allegedly benefited from the product were also shown.
The post is still gaining traction three months after it first circulated, with several netizens asking about the product’s price in the comments section. It carried a link to the product website (KEEPINBEAUTEE.COM) where the public can supposedly buy the product with discounts.
Arthrelief is not a drug or food product registered with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Ong, in an earlier FB post, reiterated that he and his wife do not endorse any drug or food supplement except for a milk product for seniors.
Similar to previous scams flagged by VERA Files Fact Check, clips were taken from the couple’s 2022 videos on gout symptoms and treatments and on free and natural cure for illnesses. The doctors never recommended Arthrelief in these videos.
(Read Ad for FAKE gallstone ‘cure’ circulates, uses doctors’ names)
VERA Files Fact Check has been debunking fake ads that use health experts’ and celebrities’ identities to promote unregistered products.
(Read Ad for FAKE gallstone ‘cure’ circulates, uses doctors’ names)
According to the FDA, investigations into the proliferation of fraudulent ads for health products are ongoing. Former Department of Health special adviser Dr. Tony Leachon has lodged a complaint with the National Bureau of Investigation seeking to address the unauthorized use of his identity in fake medical ads.
(Read Bogus ‘CNN Philippines’ site posts FAKE story on joint disease cure)
The video uploaded by Arthritis Essentials (created on June 9, 2023 as Keepinbeautee) has 8,500 reactions, 2,000 comments, 700 shares and 959,000 views as of writing.
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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.)
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