The actress deleted her Twitter and Instagram accounts on Tuesday, following news that she was among dozens charged in an alleged college admissions cheating scam

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March 12, 2019 07:26 PM

Lori Loughlin has deleted two of her social media accounts in the wake of her alleged participation in a college admissions cheating scam.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Loughlin’s Instagram and Twitter accounts were no longer active, just hours after news broke that the actress was among dozens charged in the alleged scandal.

Her Facebook account, however, is still active.

Loughlin — best known for her role as Aunt Becky on the ABC sitcom Full House — was among a list of 50 people who have been indicted as part of an alleged nationwide scheme, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts.

Felicity Huffman was also named and allegedly gave $15,000 to help one of her children excel on an entrance exam, the indictment states.

The scandal involves admissions to schools like the University of Southern California, Yale, Georgetown, and Stanford, among others, PEOPLE confirmed on Tuesday.

Lori Loughlin
Greg Doherty/WireImage

“Dozens of individuals involved in a nationwide conspiracy that facilitated cheating on college entrance exams and the admission of students to elite universities as purported athletic recruits were arrested by federal agents in multiple states and charged in documents unsealed on March 12, 2019, in federal court in Boston,” the release said.

RELATED: Could Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman Serve Prison Time for Alleged College Admissions Scam

Loughlin and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, allegedly gave $500,000 to say their daughters, Olivia Jade, 19, and Isabella Rose, 20, were part of the rowing team, when that was not true, the indictment states.

The couple, who were both indicted, “agreed to pay bribes totaling $500,000 in exchange for having their two daughters designated as recruits to the USC crew team — despite the fact that they did not participate in crew — thereby facilitating their admission to USC,” state the documents.

Federal agents also obtained emails from Loughlin allegedly implicating her in the scam, according to the documents.

Olivia Jade and Lori Loughlin
Eric Charbonneau/LeStudio

Starting on April 22, 2016, Giannulli allegedly emailed an unnamed cooperating witness and copied Loughlin, saying that he and his wife had just met with Isabella’s college counselor and that he wanted to “fully understand the game plan and make sure we have a roadmap for success as it relates to [our daughter] and getting her into a school other than [Arizona State University]!”

On July 24, 2016, the corroborating witness allegedly emailed Giannulli essentially saying his older daughter was unlikely to get into USC on academics alone.

RELATED: Lori Loughlin Said She Was a ‘Guiding Force’ for Her Daughters Before College Admissions Scandal

“Thereafter, the Giannullis agreed with [the witness] to use bribes to facilitate her admission to USC as a recruited crew coxswain, even though she did not row competitively or otherwise participate in crew,” the complaint alleges.

That September, Giannulli allegedly sent the witness an email of Isabella on a rowing machine a month before Donnal Heinel, the senior associate athletic director at USC, allegedly presented the teen as a recruit to the crew team.

Lori Loughlin

Several months later, in 2017, USC mailed Isabella her formal acceptance letter, the complaint alleges. Later, when the witness allegedly asked if they would need help with their other daughter, Loughlin allegedly added, “Yes USC for [our younger daughter]!”

The complaint alleges that the corroborating witness devised a plan to “present their younger daughter, falsely, as a crew coxswain for the L.A. Marina Club team, and requested that the Giannullis’s send an ‘Action Picture,’ asking a few days later for a picture on the ‘erg’ — or rowing machine, which Giannulli did a few days later.”

RELATED: Lori Loughlin’s Daughter Olivia Jade Apologized for Saying She Doesn’t ‘Really Care About School’

Heinel presented Olivia to the USC subcommittee for athletic admissions on or about November 2, 2017, when a subcommittee approved her conditional admission to USC, the document states. After her daughter’s admission, Loughlin allegedly emailed the corroborating witness, “This is wonderful news,” and used a high-five emoji.

Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli

In December 2017, the guidance counselor at Olivia’s high school questioned her being recruited for crew at USC like her older sister when she didn’t row, which Giannulli allegedly fraudulently confirmed for the counselor the following April, according to the complaint.

Both of Loughlin’s daughters are not currently listed on the USC women’s rowing roster.

Reps for Loughlin did not immediately return PEOPLE’s request for comment.

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