15 minutes
Entre musique et image, chanson, rock ou électro, P.R2B, alias Pauline Rambeau de Baralon, n’a pas envie de choisir. Autant à l’aise seule dans son studio que sur scène, elle publie un second album, Presque punk, qui nous invite à arrêter de travailler pour écouter de la musique. Portrait.
Entre musique et image, chanson, rock ou électro, P.R2B, alias Pauline Rambeau de Baralon, n’a pas envie de choisir. Autant à l’aise seule dans son studio que sur scène, elle publie un second album, Presque punk, qui nous invite à arrêter de travailler pour écouter de la musique. Portrait.
18 minutes

بعد اختطاف الولايات المتحدة للرئيس الفنزويلي، تراهن البلاد على تماسك مؤسساتها وقدرتها على الصمود سياسيًا واقتصاديًا

18 minutes
بعد اختطاف الولايات المتحدة للرئيس الفنزويلي، تراهن البلاد على تماسك مؤسساتها وقدرتها على الصمود سياسيًا واقتصاديًا
19 minutes
Следственный комитет РФ возбудил уголовное дело по факту смерти пациентки в частной клинике Москвы (часть 2 статьи 109 УК, «причинение смерти по неосторожности вследствие ненадлежащего исполнения профессиональных обязанностей»).
Следственный комитет РФ возбудил уголовное дело по факту смерти пациентки в частной клинике Москвы (часть 2 статьи 109 УК, «причинение смерти по неосторожности вследствие ненадлежащего исполнения профессиональных обязанностей»).
20 minutes
Wenesuelanyň ABŞ operasiýasynda ele salnan prezidenti Nikolas Maduro we onuň aýaly Siliýa Flores 5-nji ýanwarda Nýu-Ýorkda, federal kazynyň öňünde ilkinji gezek peýda bolarlar. Federal sudýa Madurony, onuň aýalyny we ýene dört adamy dört aýyplamada, kokain import etmek üçin dildüwşük etmekde we "narkoterrorizmde" aýyplap, aýyplaw netijelerini yglan edipdi. ABŞ-nyň prezidenti Donald Tramp žurnalistlere 4-nji ýanwarda, eger Wenesuela ABŞ bilen hyzmatdaşlyk etmese, ýene bir zarba urmagy...
Wenesuelanyň ABŞ operasiýasynda ele salnan prezidenti Nikolas Maduro we onuň aýaly Siliýa Flores 5-nji ýanwarda Nýu-Ýorkda, federal kazynyň öňünde ilkinji gezek peýda bolarlar. Federal sudýa Madurony, onuň aýalyny we ýene dört adamy dört aýyplamada, kokain import etmek üçin dildüwşük etmekde we "narkoterrorizmde" aýyplap, aýyplaw netijelerini yglan edipdi. ABŞ-nyň prezidenti Donald Tramp žurnalistlere 4-nji ýanwarda, eger Wenesuela ABŞ bilen hyzmatdaşlyk etmese, ýene bir zarba urmagy...
22 minutes
Намеснік міністра спорту і турызму Алег Андрэйчык пайшоў у адстаўку ў канцы 2025 года, паведамляе «Гарадзенская праваабарона». Андрэйчык займаў пасаду намесніка міністра спорту і турызму з траўня 2022 года. Да гэтага ён 24 гады працаваў ва ўпраўленні спорту і турызму ў Гродзенскім аблвыканкаме. Прыцягваў турыстаў і ціснуў на спартоўцаў: чым запомніцца Алег Андрэйчык Алег Андрэйчык [...]
Намеснік міністра спорту і турызму Алег Андрэйчык пайшоў у адстаўку ў канцы 2025 года, паведамляе «Гарадзенская праваабарона». Андрэйчык займаў пасаду намесніка міністра спорту і турызму з траўня 2022 года. Да гэтага ён 24 гады працаваў ва ўпраўленні спорту і турызму ў Гродзенскім аблвыканкаме. Прыцягваў турыстаў і ціснуў на спартоўцаў: чым запомніцца Алег Андрэйчык Алег Андрэйчык [...]
24 minutes
3 қаңтарда АҚШ күштері Венесуэла астанасы Каракастағы әскери нысандарға әуеден шабуыл жасап, ел президенті Николас Мадуро мен оның әйелі Силия Флоресті ұстап, алып кетті. АҚШ президенті Дональд Трамп билік «тиісті түрде ауыспайынша» Венесуэланы АҚШ басқарады деген.
3 қаңтарда АҚШ күштері Венесуэла астанасы Каракастағы әскери нысандарға әуеден шабуыл жасап, ел президенті Николас Мадуро мен оның әйелі Силия Флоресті ұстап, алып кетті. АҚШ президенті Дональд Трамп билік «тиісті түрде ауыспайынша» Венесуэланы АҚШ басқарады деген.
24 minutes
As 2026 begins, so does the second year of Maine’s two-year legislative session. The official start of the second regular session of the 132nd Legislature is Jan. 7, but throughout the fall the 35 members of the Maine Senate and 151 members of the House of Representatives have been revising proposals and introducing emergency measures […]
As 2026 begins, so does the second year of Maine’s two-year legislative session. The official start of the second regular session of the 132nd Legislature is Jan. 7, but throughout the fall the 35 members of the Maine Senate and 151 members of the House of Representatives have been revising proposals and introducing emergency measures […]
24 minutes
À l'approche des élections municipales, l'association Quidam forme des jeunes des quartiers populaires à la politique locale. Elle espère ainsi lever les freins à l'engagement et les pousser à se présenter sur les listes de leurs communes. Alternatives / Municipales 2026, Education populaire, Démocratie !
À l'approche des élections municipales, l'association Quidam forme des jeunes des quartiers populaires à la politique locale. Elle espère ainsi lever les freins à l'engagement et les pousser à se présenter sur les listes de leurs communes. Alternatives / Municipales 2026, Education populaire, Démocratie !
24 minutes

Somos nosotros, los ciudadanos, convirtiéndonos en fanáticas hinchadas ideológicas, los que les dejamos vía libre a los Trump, los Putin, los Xi Jinping y otros sucedáneos, homologados en las urnas, que sueñan con Casa Blancas y Kremlins.

Somos nosotros, los ciudadanos, convirtiéndonos en fanáticas hinchadas ideológicas, los que les dejamos vía libre a los Trump, los Putin, los Xi Jinping y otros sucedáneos, homologados en las urnas, que sueñan con Casa Blancas y Kremlins.
26 minutes
By Anne Blythe More than 13 years have passed since a group of prominent state retirees filed a lawsuit challenging what was then a new state law that required them to start paying for health care benefits they had received free of charge for years as part of their benefits package. Now, attorneys for the […] The post NC state retirees challenged health plan benefit changes 13 years ago. They’re still fighting. appeared first on North Carolina Health News.
26 minutes
By Anne Blythe More than 13 years have passed since a group of prominent state retirees filed a lawsuit challenging what was then a new state law that required them to start paying for health care benefits they had received free of charge for years as part of their benefits package. Now, attorneys for the […] The post NC state retirees challenged health plan benefit changes 13 years ago. They’re still fighting. appeared first on North Carolina Health News.
27 minutes

Ministria për Arsim dhe Shkencë në Maqedoninë e Veriut edhe sot do të pranojë aplikime nga studentët për të shfrytëzuar të drejtën për shujtë studentore, transmeton Portalb.mk. “Studentët që i përmbushin kushtet, ndërsa nuk kanë aplikuar deri më tani, mund të parashtrojnë aplikacion, në mënyrë elektronike përmes portalit: https://e-uslugi.mon.gov.mk”, raportoi Ministria. Mundësia është për gjithë studentët […]

27 minutes
Ministria për Arsim dhe Shkencë në Maqedoninë e Veriut edhe sot do të pranojë aplikime nga studentët për të shfrytëzuar të drejtën për shujtë studentore, transmeton Portalb.mk. “Studentët që i përmbushin kushtet, ndërsa nuk kanë aplikuar deri më tani, mund të parashtrojnë aplikacion, në mënyrë elektronike përmes portalit: https://e-uslugi.mon.gov.mk”, raportoi Ministria. Mundësia është për gjithë studentët […]
27 minutes
Все они были военнослужащими кубинских вооруженных сил и разведывательных служб
Все они были военнослужащими кубинских вооруженных сил и разведывательных служб
28 minutes

Pennsylvania is likely to play a crucial role in determining the balance of power in Congress in the 2026 midterm elections, with four U.S. House seats expected to be competitive — more than any other state. “Each of these districts are within a couple of points,” said pollster Berwood Yost of Franklin & Marshall College […]

Pennsylvania is likely to play a crucial role in determining the balance of power in Congress in the 2026 midterm elections, with four U.S. House seats expected to be competitive — more than any other state. “Each of these districts are within a couple of points,” said pollster Berwood Yost of Franklin & Marshall College […]
28 minutes
Le rapport final de la Commission vérité et réconciliation Sámi, en Finlande, a ouvert l’initiatives d'excuses officielles de la part de l'État et le renforcement des droits des peuples autochtones. Dans un contexte marqué par de nouveaux défis environnementaux et politiques. L’article Ce que la Finlande a promis aux Sámis est apparu en premier sur JusticeInfo.net.
28 minutes
Le rapport final de la Commission vérité et réconciliation Sámi, en Finlande, a ouvert l’initiatives d'excuses officielles de la part de l'État et le renforcement des droits des peuples autochtones. Dans un contexte marqué par de nouveaux défis environnementaux et politiques. L’article Ce que la Finlande a promis aux Sámis est apparu en premier sur JusticeInfo.net.
28 minutes
The final report of the Sámi Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Finland sparked initiatives of state apology and strengthened Indigenous rights amid renewed environmental and political challenges. L’article Finland’s promise to the Sámi est apparu en premier sur JusticeInfo.net.
28 minutes
The final report of the Sámi Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Finland sparked initiatives of state apology and strengthened Indigenous rights amid renewed environmental and political challenges. L’article Finland’s promise to the Sámi est apparu en premier sur JusticeInfo.net.
28 minutes
An Australian court has overturned the seizure of a luxury Melbourne home linked to South The post South Sudan labor minister wins Australian court fight over seized luxury home appeared first on Radio Tamazuj.
An Australian court has overturned the seizure of a luxury Melbourne home linked to South The post South Sudan labor minister wins Australian court fight over seized luxury home appeared first on Radio Tamazuj.
28 minutes
Локацијата позната како „Автокамп Градиште“, една од најпрепознатливите точки на брегот на Охридското Езеро, денес тивко се претвора во диво градилиште – на простор каде што, според институциите, законски не постои оформен автокамп. Иако земјиштето е во процес на денационализација и е предмет на судски постапки, Градиште со години функционира како легален туристички комплекс, додека сè поголем број привремени приколки се доградуваат и се претвораат во цврсти објекти. Дел од сопствениците...
28 minutes
Локацијата позната како „Автокамп Градиште“, една од најпрепознатливите точки на брегот на Охридското Езеро, денес тивко се претвора во диво градилиште – на простор каде што, според институциите, законски не постои оформен автокамп. Иако земјиштето е во процес на денационализација и е предмет на судски постапки, Градиште со години функционира како легален туристички комплекс, додека сè поголем број привремени приколки се доградуваат и се претвораат во цврсти објекти. Дел од сопствениците...
28 minutes
Նրանց չորս մեղադրանք է ներկայացված, այդ թվում՝ թմրանյութերի միջոցով ահաբեկչության ու նարկոոկարտելների հովանավորման։
Նրանց չորս մեղադրանք է ներկայացված, այդ թվում՝ թմրանյութերի միջոցով ահաբեկչության ու նարկոոկարտելների հովանավորման։
29 minutes
Размаўляем зь пісьменьніцай Сьвятланай Курс (Евай Вежнавец) пра цуды на Каляды, пра тое, што баліць, пра што ня варта пытацца і як анкалягічны дыягназ уплывае на жыцьцё і творчасьць.
Размаўляем зь пісьменьніцай Сьвятланай Курс (Евай Вежнавец) пра цуды на Каляды, пра тое, што баліць, пра што ня варта пытацца і як анкалягічны дыягназ уплывае на жыцьцё і творчасьць.
30 minutes

In the weeks between Black Friday and Christmas, millions of people shop online. Scammers know this and increase their activity during this time. In recent weeks, 37 TikTok and Instagram advertisers ran at least 18,000 fraudulent ads. Alarmingly, 78% of these advertisers are still active on both platforms, despite TikTok and Instagram having previously taken action against them for breaking the law, selling counterfeit goods, or other “unacceptable commercial practices in advertisement”. Both Meta and TikTok continue to earn revenue from the ads placed by these fraudulent advertisers. The advertisers pose as well-known brands such as Pandora, Carhartt, LEGO, Jack & Jones, and Lacoste, offering low prices to attract users. They then redirect consumers to websites that are not the brands’ official pages and show several signs of being unreliable. As one victim told Maldita.es, products bought through these sites, if they arrive, are either counterfeit or completely different from what was advertised. Despite the ads being visible in Spain, 75% of the advertisers claim to be based in Asia. On TikTok, 53% have a registered address in China and 26% in Hong Kong. On Instagram, 41% of profiles that disclosed information had at least one administrator from Vietnam. Repeat offenders: beyond a Christmas scam Although the advertisers were identified through scams linked to the Black Friday and Christmas period, their advertising volume shows a much wider operation. They have placed at least 18,000 ads since the days leading up to Black Friday but the 37 advertisers account for over 1.2 million advertisements in total. All the Meta accounts identified in this investigation had at least one advert restricted for “failing to comply with rules on unacceptable business practices in advertisement.” Meta's policies stipulate that advertisements must not be deceptive or misleading, terms used to describe content intended to scam users or steal personal data. Screenshot of an example of an ad blocked for unacceptable business practices in advertisement. Source: Meta Ad Library. At the time of analysis, 86% of the advertisers reviewed on TikTok had at least one advert moderated for breaching the terms on illegal content in at least one country where it was shown. In several cases, TikTok explicitly stated that the adverts promoted counterfeit products. The remaining advertisers were suspended for distributing illegal content. Despite these actions, 7 of the 15 accounts examined were still active on the platform at the time this report was published. Overall, 78% of advertisers remained active on both platforms at the time of publication. Screenshot showing the different reasons why the adverts were moderated. Source: TikTok Ad Library. These fraudulent ads generate direct revenue for Meta and Tiktok since they are shared through paid advertising programs, which are both platforms' primary source of revenue. According to figures submitted to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), ads account for 98% of Meta's revenue, which amounted to $41.392 million in the first trimester of 2025. Similarly, Tiktok’s advertising revenue reached $17.000 million in 2024, according to a Business of Apps report. Neither platform discloses how much revenue a single ad generates, making it impossible to determine how much profit was earned from this campaign. Adverts and scams under European and Spanish law In the European Union, TikTok and Instagram are designated as “Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs)” and are therefore subject to specific obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA). These include putting effective measures in place to reduce systemic risks linked to the spread of illegal content and to ensure a “high level of consumer protection” under Article 34. Article 35 adds that these measures may include “adapting their advertising systems.” María Teresa Martínez, a lawyer specialising in digital law, points out that these obligations include those relating to transparency in online advertising, which require proactive identification and mitigation of risks, rather than action based solely on notifications (article 39). Samuel Parra, a lawyer specialising in data protection, told Maldita.es that platforms are required to gather specific details about advertisers, including their name, address, phone number, identification documents, and business registration information. He says this should make it possible to take action against fraudulent advertisers. In theory, he adds, platforms should not allow people using random names and addresses to advertise branded products, as allowing such adverts would be in breach of the Digital Services Act. Platforms are required to remove illegal content but only once they become aware of the illegal nature of the content, Rahul Uttamchandani, a lawyer specialising in technology and privacy, told Maldita.es. Where the content is published is irrelevant, he adds, what matters is whether it is accessible in the European Union. Kenia Mestre, a data protection lawyer at Legal Box Plus, says these adverts are legally considered illegal content because they breach Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 on the European Union trade mark and Spain’s Trademark Law. Mestre adds that these adverts may constitute a serious unfair commercial practice under Spain’s advertising and unfair competition laws, as they mislead consumers about both the identity of the seller and the authenticity of the product. Some of the adverts removed by TikTok carried a notice stating they were taken down for containing illegal content in one or more target countries. Mestre says advertisers may face criminal liability for fraud, particularly where there is repeated posting of fraudulent adverts and multiple victims. Even if they are not located in Spain, they are liable under Spanish law if the harm happens there. In other investigations, such as one into a network of more than a thousand Facebook pages across 60 countries posing as local public transport systems, Maldita.es has already reported the use of platform advertising to promote scams. In that case, the scammers appeared to have links to Russia and Vietnam. Kenia Mestre, lawyer specialised in data protection and María Teresa Martínez, lawyer specialised in digital law, collaborated on this article with their superpowers. Kenia Mestre and María Teresa Martínez are part of Superpoderosas, a project launched by Maldita.es that aims to strengthen the presence of scientists and experts in public debate through collaboration in the fight against disinformation. Thanks to your superpowers, knowledge, and experience, we can fight lies more effectively. The Maldita.es community is essential to stopping misinformation. Help us in this battle: send us the hoaxes you receive to our WhatsApp service, lend us your superpowers, spread our fact-checking, and become an Ambassador. TRANSPARENCY: Maldita.es is, from 2019, part of Meta’s Third Party Fact-Checking Program. Methodology For this investigation, we compiled and analysed advertisements published on TikTok and Instagram between November 28th and December 23rd, 2025 that posed as well-known brands or used their name and picture without permission. The sample selection process began with a manual identification of suspicious TikTok advertisements, which allowed us to identify recurring patterns and keywords in the advertising texts (e.g., 'up to 80%,' 'Black Friday,' 'Christmas Sale'), as well as references to well-known brands (Lacoste, Pandora, Bimba y Lola, Ralph Lauren, among others). We widened our search in the TikTok and Meta ad libraries, resulting in a total of 18,088 ads. Given that many of these campaigns operated in a coordinated manner, once an account with fraudulent advertisements was identified, we used its name in the library search engine to locate other accounts with similar names. This is how we found cases in Meta such as ‘Pandora.Online.Shop’, ‘Pandora Online Shop’ and ‘Pandora Shop’, all with the same profile image and virtually identical advertisements. For Meta, we also entered the website domains to which the fraudulent adverts redirected users in the ad library search bar. This allowed us to identify adverts from multiple accounts that led to the same fraudulent or suspicious websites and that used the same advertising style. The adverts identified were grouped by advertiser and, where available, by payer. We also recorded details such as the period of activity, the countries targeted, the number of adverts posted, and whether any had been moderated or removed by the platforms. To identify where the advertisers were operating from, we collected information disclosed by advertisers and payers, including the registered office listed on the platforms and in public business records. Where an advertiser listed more than one country as its registered office, each location was taken into account. Five advertisers failed to disclose a registered office and could not be classified by region. "> Methodology For this investigation, we compiled and analysed advertisements published on TikTok and Instagram between November 28th and December 23rd, 2025 that posed as well-known brands or used their name and picture without permission. The sample selection process began with a manual identification of suspicious TikTok advertisements, which allowed us to identify recurring patterns and keywords in the advertising texts (e.g., 'up to 80%,' 'Black Friday,' 'Christmas Sale'), as well as references to well-known brands (Lacoste, Pandora, Bimba y Lola, Ralph Lauren, among others). We widened our search in the TikTok and Meta ad libraries, resulting in a total of 18,088 ads. Given that many of these campaigns operated in a coordinated manner, once an account with fraudulent advertisements was identified, we used its name in the library search engine to locate other accounts with similar names. This is how we found cases in Meta such as ‘Pandora.Online.Shop’, ‘Pandora Online Shop’ and ‘Pandora Shop’, all with the same profile image and virtually identical advertisements. For Meta, we also entered the website domains to which the fraudulent adverts redirected users in the ad library search bar. This allowed us to identify adverts from multiple accounts that led to the same fraudulent or suspicious websites and that used the same advertising style. The adverts identified were grouped by advertiser and, where available, by payer. We also recorded details such as the period of activity, the countries targeted, the number of adverts posted, and whether any had been moderated or removed by the platforms. To identify where the advertisers were operating from, we collected information disclosed by advertisers and payers, including the registered office listed on the platforms and in public business records. Where an advertiser listed more than one country as its registered office, each location was taken into account. Five advertisers failed to disclose a registered office and could not be classified by region.

In the weeks between Black Friday and Christmas, millions of people shop online. Scammers know this and increase their activity during this time. In recent weeks, 37 TikTok and Instagram advertisers ran at least 18,000 fraudulent ads. Alarmingly, 78% of these advertisers are still active on both platforms, despite TikTok and Instagram having previously taken action against them for breaking the law, selling counterfeit goods, or other “unacceptable commercial practices in advertisement”. Both Meta and TikTok continue to earn revenue from the ads placed by these fraudulent advertisers. The advertisers pose as well-known brands such as Pandora, Carhartt, LEGO, Jack & Jones, and Lacoste, offering low prices to attract users. They then redirect consumers to websites that are not the brands’ official pages and show several signs of being unreliable. As one victim told Maldita.es, products bought through these sites, if they arrive, are either counterfeit or completely different from what was advertised. Despite the ads being visible in Spain, 75% of the advertisers claim to be based in Asia. On TikTok, 53% have a registered address in China and 26% in Hong Kong. On Instagram, 41% of profiles that disclosed information had at least one administrator from Vietnam. Repeat offenders: beyond a Christmas scam Although the advertisers were identified through scams linked to the Black Friday and Christmas period, their advertising volume shows a much wider operation. They have placed at least 18,000 ads since the days leading up to Black Friday but the 37 advertisers account for over 1.2 million advertisements in total. All the Meta accounts identified in this investigation had at least one advert restricted for “failing to comply with rules on unacceptable business practices in advertisement.” Meta's policies stipulate that advertisements must not be deceptive or misleading, terms used to describe content intended to scam users or steal personal data. Screenshot of an example of an ad blocked for unacceptable business practices in advertisement. Source: Meta Ad Library. At the time of analysis, 86% of the advertisers reviewed on TikTok had at least one advert moderated for breaching the terms on illegal content in at least one country where it was shown. In several cases, TikTok explicitly stated that the adverts promoted counterfeit products. The remaining advertisers were suspended for distributing illegal content. Despite these actions, 7 of the 15 accounts examined were still active on the platform at the time this report was published. Overall, 78% of advertisers remained active on both platforms at the time of publication. Screenshot showing the different reasons why the adverts were moderated. Source: TikTok Ad Library. These fraudulent ads generate direct revenue for Meta and Tiktok since they are shared through paid advertising programs, which are both platforms' primary source of revenue. According to figures submitted to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), ads account for 98% of Meta's revenue, which amounted to $41.392 million in the first trimester of 2025. Similarly, Tiktok’s advertising revenue reached $17.000 million in 2024, according to a Business of Apps report. Neither platform discloses how much revenue a single ad generates, making it impossible to determine how much profit was earned from this campaign. Adverts and scams under European and Spanish law In the European Union, TikTok and Instagram are designated as “Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs)” and are therefore subject to specific obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA). These include putting effective measures in place to reduce systemic risks linked to the spread of illegal content and to ensure a “high level of consumer protection” under Article 34. Article 35 adds that these measures may include “adapting their advertising systems.” María Teresa Martínez, a lawyer specialising in digital law, points out that these obligations include those relating to transparency in online advertising, which require proactive identification and mitigation of risks, rather than action based solely on notifications (article 39). Samuel Parra, a lawyer specialising in data protection, told Maldita.es that platforms are required to gather specific details about advertisers, including their name, address, phone number, identification documents, and business registration information. He says this should make it possible to take action against fraudulent advertisers. In theory, he adds, platforms should not allow people using random names and addresses to advertise branded products, as allowing such adverts would be in breach of the Digital Services Act. Platforms are required to remove illegal content but only once they become aware of the illegal nature of the content, Rahul Uttamchandani, a lawyer specialising in technology and privacy, told Maldita.es. Where the content is published is irrelevant, he adds, what matters is whether it is accessible in the European Union. Kenia Mestre, a data protection lawyer at Legal Box Plus, says these adverts are legally considered illegal content because they breach Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 on the European Union trade mark and Spain’s Trademark Law. Mestre adds that these adverts may constitute a serious unfair commercial practice under Spain’s advertising and unfair competition laws, as they mislead consumers about both the identity of the seller and the authenticity of the product. Some of the adverts removed by TikTok carried a notice stating they were taken down for containing illegal content in one or more target countries. Mestre says advertisers may face criminal liability for fraud, particularly where there is repeated posting of fraudulent adverts and multiple victims. Even if they are not located in Spain, they are liable under Spanish law if the harm happens there. In other investigations, such as one into a network of more than a thousand Facebook pages across 60 countries posing as local public transport systems, Maldita.es has already reported the use of platform advertising to promote scams. In that case, the scammers appeared to have links to Russia and Vietnam. Kenia Mestre, lawyer specialised in data protection and María Teresa Martínez, lawyer specialised in digital law, collaborated on this article with their superpowers. Kenia Mestre and María Teresa Martínez are part of Superpoderosas, a project launched by Maldita.es that aims to strengthen the presence of scientists and experts in public debate through collaboration in the fight against disinformation. Thanks to your superpowers, knowledge, and experience, we can fight lies more effectively. The Maldita.es community is essential to stopping misinformation. Help us in this battle: send us the hoaxes you receive to our WhatsApp service, lend us your superpowers, spread our fact-checking, and become an Ambassador. TRANSPARENCY: Maldita.es is, from 2019, part of Meta’s Third Party Fact-Checking Program. Methodology For this investigation, we compiled and analysed advertisements published on TikTok and Instagram between November 28th and December 23rd, 2025 that posed as well-known brands or used their name and picture without permission. The sample selection process began with a manual identification of suspicious TikTok advertisements, which allowed us to identify recurring patterns and keywords in the advertising texts (e.g., 'up to 80%,' 'Black Friday,' 'Christmas Sale'), as well as references to well-known brands (Lacoste, Pandora, Bimba y Lola, Ralph Lauren, among others). We widened our search in the TikTok and Meta ad libraries, resulting in a total of 18,088 ads. Given that many of these campaigns operated in a coordinated manner, once an account with fraudulent advertisements was identified, we used its name in the library search engine to locate other accounts with similar names. This is how we found cases in Meta such as ‘Pandora.Online.Shop’, ‘Pandora Online Shop’ and ‘Pandora Shop’, all with the same profile image and virtually identical advertisements. For Meta, we also entered the website domains to which the fraudulent adverts redirected users in the ad library search bar. This allowed us to identify adverts from multiple accounts that led to the same fraudulent or suspicious websites and that used the same advertising style. The adverts identified were grouped by advertiser and, where available, by payer. We also recorded details such as the period of activity, the countries targeted, the number of adverts posted, and whether any had been moderated or removed by the platforms. To identify where the advertisers were operating from, we collected information disclosed by advertisers and payers, including the registered office listed on the platforms and in public business records. Where an advertiser listed more than one country as its registered office, each location was taken into account. Five advertisers failed to disclose a registered office and could not be classified by region. "> Methodology For this investigation, we compiled and analysed advertisements published on TikTok and Instagram between November 28th and December 23rd, 2025 that posed as well-known brands or used their name and picture without permission. The sample selection process began with a manual identification of suspicious TikTok advertisements, which allowed us to identify recurring patterns and keywords in the advertising texts (e.g., 'up to 80%,' 'Black Friday,' 'Christmas Sale'), as well as references to well-known brands (Lacoste, Pandora, Bimba y Lola, Ralph Lauren, among others). We widened our search in the TikTok and Meta ad libraries, resulting in a total of 18,088 ads. Given that many of these campaigns operated in a coordinated manner, once an account with fraudulent advertisements was identified, we used its name in the library search engine to locate other accounts with similar names. This is how we found cases in Meta such as ‘Pandora.Online.Shop’, ‘Pandora Online Shop’ and ‘Pandora Shop’, all with the same profile image and virtually identical advertisements. For Meta, we also entered the website domains to which the fraudulent adverts redirected users in the ad library search bar. This allowed us to identify adverts from multiple accounts that led to the same fraudulent or suspicious websites and that used the same advertising style. The adverts identified were grouped by advertiser and, where available, by payer. We also recorded details such as the period of activity, the countries targeted, the number of adverts posted, and whether any had been moderated or removed by the platforms. To identify where the advertisers were operating from, we collected information disclosed by advertisers and payers, including the registered office listed on the platforms and in public business records. Where an advertiser listed more than one country as its registered office, each location was taken into account. Five advertisers failed to disclose a registered office and could not be classified by region.