Scammer attempted to cheat Xiang Yun at mother's funeral: 'How could there be people who come to the mourning hall to deceive others'
The veteran actress shared about being approached by a stranger concerning funeral rites for her late mother, who died earlier in 2023.
Despite the increase in online scams, it's worth remembering that scammers don't just stick to the shadows and operate only in the anonymous digital space. In this particular case, the alleged scammer even looked to take advantage of a family's grief.
Local actress Xiang Yun recently revealed to Shin Min Daily News that a young man attempted to scam her at her mother’s funeral earlier in 2023. Her mother had died on 12 September at 84, after contracting a viral infection while undergoing treatment for uterine cancer, which led to kidney failure.
As Xiang Yun's mother was a Buddhist, the family had planned a Buddhist funeral service for her.
How did the scammer approach Xiang Yun?
On the day when they were supposed to perform the funeral rites at night, a young man in civilian attire approached Xiang Yun, 62, and claimed that the master of the priest who was supposed to perform the ceremony had died, and asked if the funeral rites could be pushed forward.
Xiang Yun then enquired about the rates, and was told it would be $1,200. The man also passed her his business card, and said they could PayNow him immediately.
The veteran actress got suspicious as the price was steep, and politely said she needed to think about it and excused herself. She then called the funeral home, who confirmed her suspicions when they said that they had not heard anything from the priest.
Her family members who were around then suggested making a police report, but as they were busy with the funeral and there was no monetary loss, Xiang Yun did not.
She told the Chinese daily, “Looking at my mother's case from a human perspective, I feel really sad. How could there be people who come to the mourning hall to deceive others! People's hearts are unpredictable and difficult to guard against. Everyone should remain highly vigilant!”
Xiang Yun's pictures previously used with 'unknown businesses'
This isn’t the first time Xiang Yun has been a target of scams.
In July, she announced she was restarting all her social media accounts as her pictures had been used by "unknown businesses and brands" to promote themselves.
Despite her warnings, many seemed to have fallen prey to the scams.
She wrote then, “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.”
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