A television news report was spliced to produce an ad for a hair growth serum, and featured video snippets of a celebrity dermatologist and vlogger-doctors to suggest they are endorsing Hairtech.
Hairtech is not registered under the Food and Drug Administration’s list of verified drug and cosmetic products.
The video uploaded by a Facebook page featured a spliced clip from the original 24 Oras report aired on Aug. 30 about a woman who grew hair on her forehead after applying a product with minoxidil, a medication used to treat hair loss.
The two-minute Hairtech video flashed the faces of dermatologist Vicki Belo, cardiologist Willie Ong, and general practitioner Liza Ramoso-Ong to suggest they are endorsing the product. Cursory search shows that neither of them has promoted Hairtech.
Ramoso-Ong previously said that products using their name and image as a form of advertisement are all “fake news.” (READ: VERA FILES FACT CHECK: Doc Willie Ong DID NOT endorse anti-arthritis supplement)
To make the fake ad look authentic, the spliced video of the 24 Oras report was merged with videos of Hairtech using a male narrator to convince people that the fake product is attracting a lot of buyers.
Facebook page Grow Hair Faster and Thicker by Dr. Sarah (created on Sept. 16, 2022) posted the fake ad, which got over 100,000 views. It sends private messages to people who inquire about the bogus product.
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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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