Doctors battle impersonators

Significant threat: A police officer detaining an anti-vaccine demonstrator outside the Covid-19 Inquiry in London, Britain. The current trend underscores how medical professionals are often sitting targets for online scammers seeking to profit off disinformation, which leaves their reputations tarnished, provokes harassment and, in some cases, legal challenges. — Reuters

A Thai doctor endorsing a dubious diabetes treatment, a Filipino physician touting crotch-enhancing underwear, a US doctor sparking off anti-vaccine conspiracies – they are all victims of identity theft plaguing health professionals.

AFP’s fact-checkers have exposed a slew of cases around the world in which fraudsters impersonated doctors, fabricating their comments or endorsements to push out bogus treatments and products or to peddle propaganda.