Have you ever posted a targeted Instagram story to bait your crush to like your story?
Well, the influencer version is this: “accidentally” posting your bank balance to bait netizens to put you in the spotlight.
That’s precisely what Malaysian influencer Cathryn Li did, albeit to a debatable degree of success. Here’s why.
M’sian Influencer Cathryn Li Exposes S$11.7 Million Bank Account Balance While Sharing About Scam Experience
Last week, Malaysian influencer Cathryn Li found herself in the limelight after exposing her bank account balance in her Instagram story about her scam experience.
The influencer posted a screenshot of her bank statement to share her discovery of an unauthorised 27.99 ringgit (S$8.20) transaction from her bank account.
It appears that this transaction resulted from a Facebook scam where money is deducted from one’s bank account after users click on fraudulent Facebook advertisements.
It doesn’t take a particularly sharp-eyed netizen to see that she also reveals her bank account balance in this Instagram story.
For those of you who have been going to town on your Shopee expenditure and haven’t looked at your bank statement in years, yes, that’s the bank account balance on the rightmost column.
And if you look closely, you’ll see that the Malaysian pianist’s bank account balance is 40.36 million ringgit (S$11.7 million).
Wah. Can rent a colonial house in Singapore already sia.
Of course, this Instagram story went viral, drawing mixed reactions from netizens.
While some made tongue-in-cheek comments about their plans to become a pianist like Li, others called her “stingy” for complaining about losing 27.99 ringgit when she had millions in her bank.
The 33-year-old influencer deleted her Instagram story shortly afterwards, presumably after realising that she had accidentally exposed her wealth to the eyes of thousands.
Netizens Claim Cathryn Li’s Exposure of Bank Balance Was Far From “Accidental”
Yet, how “accidental” Cathryn Li’s exposure of her bank balance was is debatable. Some netizens have pointed out that the bank balance screenshot appears photoshopped.
Presumably, the influencer photoshopped her bank statement in the Instagram story and posted it to flaunt the wealth she did not have.
Talk about clickbait.
If you compare the left and right columns, you’ll realise that the font types for the digits are different.
This is especially glaring when comparing the font types for the digits ‘5’ and ‘6’.
It’s clear that she has never had to photoshop MCs back in school.
Multiple netizens claiming to be accountants and bank staff also agreed that the bank statement was photoshopped.
Perhaps being a pianist isn’t all that lucrative after all. Stay in school, kids.
This is far from the Malaysian fitness influencer’s first controversy.
In 2019, Cathryn Li found herself in the Internet’s crosshairs after she called M-sized girls fat.
Hais… This is why people say: “Think before you speak”.
The controversy she drew from this Instagram story landed her waist-deep in the Internet’s version of the trenches. She even resorted to deleting her Instagram account to fend off the army of angry netizens.
Well, now that she’s back on Instagram with her “accidental” bank balance exposure, we’re not quite sure whether she should have reinstalled Instagram.
Remember, the Internet’s always watching.