Fake El Mundo page on actualidad-online.com uses AI images of Iker Jiménez to push 'Boost Exorex Opt'

What happened

Spanish fact-checker Maldita.es reported on 23 October 2026 that a link circulating online leads to a website that impersonates the newspaper El Mundo, using its name and logo, and claims that TV presenter Iker Jiménez 'revealed' on television an investment platform with which banks supposedly 'earn billions'. Maldita says it saw two versions depending on whether the page was opened on a computer or a phone: one claims Jiménez promoted the platform in a discussion with Ana Botín (chair of Banco Santander) on La Sexta Noche, the other claims the revelation happened in front of Carlos Torres Vila (former BBVA CEO) on his own programme. According to Maldita, the address of the site (actualidad-online.com) does not match El Mundo's official site (elmundo.es), Jiménez does not work for La Sexta but for Cuatro (Mediaset), there is no record of these encounters, and all the images on the pages were created with AI; Google's SynthID Detector flagged them as created or edited with Google AI. Maldita says it checked that the platforms being promoted, 'Boost Ai Fertinex' and 'Boost Exorex Opt', are not authorised by Spain's securities regulator, the CNMV, to provide investment services, and that these fake articles are part of an organised network of scams that impersonate famous people such as Ana Botín and Carlos Torres Vila to promote fraudulent investment platforms. Jiménez, El Mundo, Botín and Torres Vila are not involved; their names and images are being misused.

How the scam works

Fake news pages like this are usually reached through paid social media ads; the link Maldita examined carried Instagram advertising tags. A familiar newspaper layout and a well-known presenter make the claim look reported, and the 'secret the banks don't want you to know' angle is meant to make readers act before checking. These pages typically end with a sign-up form for the promoted platform. A 'financial adviser' then calls, asks for a first deposit of around €250 and shows growing profits on a dashboard. Later payments, fees or 'taxes' are demanded before any withdrawal.

Maldita notes that the two versions of the page changed depending on the device used, a technique that helps such pages avoid moderation. Iker Jiménez, El Mundo, Ana Botín, Carlos Torres Vila, Banco Santander and BBVA are impersonated and are not involved.

Source

Maldita.es, "No, Iker Jiménez no ha "destapado" en televisión una plataforma de inversión "oculta por los bancos": es un timo·Maldita.es - Periodismo para que no te la cuelen" (published 23 October 2026).