With over 240,000 followers on Instagram, the profile Sofía Salud en Casa presents itself as if it were a real woman: “Hello everyone. How are you all? I just wanted to pop in to thank you from the bottom of my heart.” To thank you for the support she claims to have “received” over “months”, she says she is offering her book “for just 48 hours” at “50% off”. This is a hoax. Sofía does not exist; she is a character created using artificial intelligence. Nor is the discount she advertises real, because her website always lists the same price for her book: 12.99 euros.
Hive, TruthScan and Google SynthID detect that the photos and videos on this profile have been created using AI. VerificaRTVE
Artificial intelligence detection tools Hive, TruthScan and Google SynthID confirm that the photos, videos and voice of ‘Sofía Salud en Casa’ are artificial creations. None of the videos posted by the Instagram profile warn users that they have been generated using artificial intelligence. The comments suggest that some users believe she exists and even go so far as to try out her ‘natural medicine’ recommendations.
This fake Instagram influencer shares ‘remedies’ and recommendations with no scientific basis, such as the practice of placing onion slices on the soles of the feet “to eliminate toxins” and reduce inflammation. She also recommends applying castor oil to the navel before bed or placing crushed ginger on the foot to relieve knee and back pain.
Sofía Salud en Casa is not alone in sharing unscientific advice on Instagram. She is joined by Eduardo Holístico Vida, a fake influencer with over 200,000 followers who also claims that placing an onion on the sole of your foot at night improves your health.
Eduardo has posted a video similar to Sofía’s, offering a discount on his book for “48 hours only”, and recommends practices such as rubbing pineapple on your skin to remove warts. He agrees with Sofía on advice such as this for achieving a flat stomach, which illustrates using the same background and also for displaying a Spanish flag in most of the clips.
The Hive, TruthScan and Google SynthID tools confirm that these are photos and videos created using AI. VerificaRTVE
The fake influencers Sofía and Eduardo have posted more than 50 videos and link their Instagram profiles to two pages where they sell their ‘remedy’ books for 12.99 euros. In the Contact section, both websites list the same postal address in Seville and the same email address.
Instagram also hosts the profile of Paco del Campo, another fake influencer who has over a million followers thanks to the 25 videos posted on this popular social media platform. The AI-generated content detection tools Hive, TruthScan and Google SynthID confirm that all his videos are artificially generated. Paco’s photos appearing in his online shop, where he sells his book for €12.95, are also created using AI.
Paco del Campo, the fake influencer with over a million followers on Instagram. VerificaRTVE
On Instagram, the profile acts as if it were an elderly man who has decided to share his mother’s and grandmother’s ‘remedies’. In fact, he is shown chatting to his ‘daughter’ about the success of his book and how delighted he is that it has been so well received. In his videos, he talks, amongst other things, about the properties of avocados, with a message identical to that spread by the fake influencers Sofía and Eduardo.
We have asked Meta about these three profiles that use artificial intelligence to deceive internet users with the aim of selling books via Instagram, bearing in mind that the Digital Services Act requires social media platforms to take action when they become aware of illegal content. A spokesperson for Instagram’s parent company replied that the company has “taken action” against the accounts that “breach” Meta’s policies.
At VerificaRTVE, we have verified that Meta has taken steps to remove the profiles of the fake influencers ‘Sofía Salud en Casa’ and ‘Eduardo Holístico Vida’, but is still maintaining that of ‘Paco del Campo’, who has over a million followers thanks to the use of AI, without labelling his content and leading internet users to believe he is a real man. A Meta spokesperson has emphasised that the company does not permit “accounts that use deceptive practices to mislead people or make misleading claims about health”. When asked why Meta is not taking action regarding the Paco del Campo profile, the company replied that this profile “does not” breach its policies and that it “differs slightly” from the other two accounts, despite the fact that it uses AI.
Miguel Ángel Lurueña, a PhD in Food Technology and science communicator, has warned in the newspaper *El País* about the recent proliferation of fake influencer profiles created using AI, including those of Paco, Sofía and Eduardo, which are spreading health and dietary advice on social media that lacks scientific backing.
Here at VerificaRTVE, we’ve been warning you about the growing use of artificial intelligence on social media to sell products using fictional characters. We warned you about these fake influencers selling on TikTok and also about some fake doctors who were sharing advice with no scientific basis. Social media has been the platform of choice for now-deactivated accounts such as this one, which shared AI-generated videos of a young man with Down’s syndrome to sell plant pots.
An article written by Borja Díaz-Merry, initially published on 27 July 2026, 07:11 (CEST)