Yesterday (Jul 17), Mediacorp actress Xiang Yun, 61, announced on Instagram that she will be restarting all her social media accounts.

For those not in the know, Xiang Yun’s pictures have been used by “unknown businesses and brands” to promote themselves.

One such ‘company’, named Hkaa.club, had edited her pictures and used them to promote Chinese medicine plasters used to help weight loss on 'sponsored' Facebook posts.

Many have fallen victim to the scams, despite Xiang Yun warning her fans and followers about the fake advertisements. 

According to Xiang Yun, she has received an “overwhelming” number of messages from those who have been scammed.

“It is disheartening to see that people have taken advantage of my status as a public figure, but what’s worse is that they have used this privilege to deceive innocent individuals for personal gain,” she wrote.

As such, Xiang Yun has decided to restart all her social media platforms, in hopes that the “fresh start” will give her a “safe space” to share snippets from her life.

“If you come across any of these fraudulent advertisements, I kindly request your assistance in reporting them. Your support in this matter will greatly expedite the process of putting an end to this deceitful activity,” she continued.

Xiang Yun has also implemented stricter privacy settings on all her social media accounts, so as to deter the misuse of her pics.

She then thanked her fans and followers for their support in overcoming the issue, and promised to to continue sharing her life, experiences, and passions “with heightened vigilance”.

We can’t say this enough: Don’t believe everything you see online.