Researcher Salvador Macip reports identity theft: he is not promoting diet pills
The doctor and researcher has already contacted the company but has not received a response.
BarcelonaSalvador Macip, a doctor, researcher, writer, and science communicator, is being victimized by identity theft perpetrated by a company, currently anonymous, that is using his image to promote pills that supposedly aid weight loss. This supplement promises a 10-kilogram weight loss in three weeks, and the website features a photograph of Macip, along with his name, as if he were presenting the pill and discussing all its benefits. "I would never advertise that; I'm precisely against these things," he stated in an interview with ARA.
The website impersonating Macip is being shared on various social media platforms, such as Instagram and X. The director of Health Sciences Studies at the UOC (Open University of Catalonia) detected the scam about two weeks ago when a follower shared it on social media, asking if it was him. "At first, I didn't think much of it," he admits. However, as the days passed, more and more people contacted him. Then he discovered it was echoing and says he felt "helpless." "It's not something minor. They're validating something with my name," he laments, pointing to the reputational damage it could cause. Macip was also confused about what steps to take. Finally, he received help from the UOC's legal team and sent an email to the only contact for the company—of German origin—listed. In fact, it's unclear whether the ad was placed by this company or a third party attempting another type of fraud. Now Macip will wait a few days to see if they remove the ad. "I just want them to stop," he argues. If they don't reply—he sent the email this Thursday and hasn't received a response yet—he will contact the consumer association. Ultimately, he's considering filing a police report. However, Macip also says that, although it may seem like a very "amateur" website, the damage "is already done." The researcher hopes that people who know him will quickly realize that he would never advertise a product like this.
Other cases
It is increasingly common for fraudulent companies to use the images of public figures without permission for deceptive advertising. For example, last year tennis player Rafa Nadal reported that his image was being used to advertise financial investments. In fact, these impersonations are especially widespread in the cryptocurrency sector. Comedian David Broncano, chefs Dabiz Muñoz and Alberto Chicote, and television presenters Susanna Griso and Carlos Sobera are some of the public figures who have been victims of impersonation in advertisements for supposed cryptocurrencies promising millions in profits. The Public Prosecutor's Office itself warns of the worrying increase in these practices. In 2024, it received 324 complaints of identity theft on social media, 42% more than the previous year. This increase is compounded by the rise in identity theft, where official documents are used to impersonate another person. This is demonstrated by open data from the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police): in 2018, 540 cases of identity theft were reported, and by 2024, that number had risen to 2,593. In other words, in six years, this figure has practically increased fivefold.