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Near the end of her five-year degree, an email left Jennifer on the floor in tears

Thousands of students received scam emails falsely claiming degree revocations amid ongoing police investigations into Western Sydney University cybersecurity breaches.

  • On Tuesday, Western Sydney University confirmed mass emails falsely claimed students and graduates had qualifications revoked and reassured enrolments were unaffected, saying `We are actively investigating this matter and taking steps to contain and address the issue`, George Williams said.
  • Hackers exploited a university account to send mass messages from the parking.permits account, amid repeated security failures flagged since 2017 and past breaches in October and earlier this year.
  • The messages were dressed up to look official, citing the Western Sydney University Act and Policy Compliance Board of Trustees, with sender addresses like no-reply@westernsydney.edu.au.
  • Recipients say the emails caused panic and distress, with students and graduates reporting tears and panic attacks while registered health professionals warned false revocations threatened registrations; Western Sydney University apology and reassurance urged reporting to ReportCyber.
  • This incident follows prior dark‑web posts and earlier breaches affecting thousands; NSW Police cybercrime squad and Western Sydney University are investigating, with more details expected in the coming weeks.
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Sydney Morning HeraldSydney Morning Herald
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Near the end of her five-year degree, an email left Jennifer on the floor in tears

Police have been informed about the scam emails which said students’ Western Sydney University qualifications had been revoked.

·Sydney, Australia
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News broke the news in on Monday, October 6, 2025.
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