Western Sydney University Students Targeted by Fraudulent Degree Revocation Emails Amid Cybersecurity Breach

Western Sydney University (WSU) has been targeted by a significant scam involving fraudulent emails sent to current and former students falsely claiming their degrees had been revoked and that they were permanently excluded from the university. The emails, which appeared to come from official university addresses and included personal student information, caused distress among recipients, including registered professionals whose careers depend on their qualifications. WSU has confirmed these emails were not legitimate, apologized for the concern caused, and assured students that their enrolments and awards remain unaffected. The university is actively investigating the incident in cooperation with NSW Police, while emphasizing that the scam exploited vulnerabilities in the university's cybersecurity systems. A second mass email from a compromised parking permits account claimed the university had neglected to address known security weaknesses, further highlighting concerns about data protection. The ongoing police investigation limits further comment from WSU at this time.