Fake Lianhe Zaobao articles about local actress Xiang Yun surface on Facebook, Instagram
Fake news reports featuring local actress Xiang Yun have surfaced on social media platforms Facebook and Instagram, prompting Chinese-language daily Lianhe Zaobao to report the issue to Meta.
Zaobao reported on May 31 that a netizen had come across a sponsored post on Facebook that included screenshots of a fake Facebook account impersonating the actress, and a fake WeChat conversation between the actress and Zaobao.
Clicking on the post redirects users to a fake Zaobao website, with an article in Chinese about fans demanding the release of the actress, following a controversial interview.
According to the May 31 report, the fake website is different from Zaobao’s real website as its link does not begin with “zaobao”, and the menu button does not work.
On May 31, another netizen encountered a sponsored Instagram story showing a fake Zaobao report which falsely claimed that the actress had accidentally revealed a secret on live television, and police officers were searching her house.
In an interview with Zaobao on May 31, the actress said she was notified of such fake news by her fans.
“I want to let readers know that these reports are not true, and I hope everyone can distinguish between what is true and what is not,” said the 62-year-old.
She added that she was more worried about fake advertisements that use her photo to sell diet pills than fake Lianhe Zaobao reports.
In 2022, the actress warned fans on Facebook of fake advertisements that use her photos to sell products such as traditional Chinese medicine, skincare products and jewellery.
In a phone call with The Straits Times on June 1, the actress said she has made multiple reports to the police and Facebook in recent years about such fake news and advertisements.
“I’m already feeling quite helpless and hopeless,” she added.
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