How to use Maldita.es’ Spanish WhatsApp chatbot to automatically fact-check hoaxes

It was the first fact-checking chatbot in Spanish and has evolved significantly since its launch: we have updated and improved its capabilities, adding simpler menus, new features, and smoother conversations. With Maldita.es’ chatbot, you can learn about misinformation, keep up to date with what we publish at Maldita.es, automatically fact-check the content you receive and, most recently, report scams and get advice on how to avoid falling for them.

How does it work?

First, you need to save the number +34 644 22 93 19 in your contacts and open a conversation with us on WhatsApp.

Once you greet the bot (a simple “hello” is enough), the first time it will reply, share a video tutorial explaining how it works, invite you to read Maldita.es’ privacy policy, and offer you a menu with a range of options so you can choose your path when using the chatbot: from fact-checking content to completing a fun challenge after taking a few lessons on how to spot misinformation. You can also choose to receive the latest Maldita.es fact-checks in audio or text format.

What can I send to get it fact-checked?

If you select “Fact-check content,” you can send it a WhatsApp message chain, a video, an image, a link, or a PDF document. You can also ask a question or search by keywords.

The bot will look through our articles to see if any of them answer or provide context for your query. If we don’t have one yet, your request will be stored and, if we eventually publish an article about it, the chatbot will send it to you when it goes live—even if days, weeks, or months have passed since your query.

Report the scams you receive by email and on your phone

With the “Report a scam” option, you can send us messages suspected of being phishing and other content you believe may be scam attempts, and receive advice on how to act if you have been a victim of a scam.

As with hoaxes, the bot will search through Maldita.es articles to see if any match the scam attempt you’ve sent and will reply accordingly.

What else can I do with the chatbot?

The chatbot isn’t only useful for fact-checking content: it also helps you stay up to date with what we publish at Maldita.es. The “Hoaxes of the day” menu option gives you access to a text summary of the most important articles published that day.

Want more? We’ve got more! To help you learn how to spot hoaxes, we offer educational content with infographics, videos, and guides that will show you what details to look out for to quickly identify misinformation, as well as the key clues to tell science apart from pseudoscience.

In addition, our anti-hoax challenge lets you test your knowledge about misinformation in a fun and interactive way—or even challenge your friends! Through five challenges based on real-life scenarios, such as what to do if you receive a message that looks like a scam or how to react when a family member shares a hoax in the family chat, you can prove that you’ve embraced malditismo and that no one can fool you in the fight against misinformation.

Why did we choose WhatsApp?