OPAN Hit by Fake Email Scam Targeting Donors
The Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) has been targeted by an email scam that claims to be from the organization itself. The fake email, sent at 4:20 am AEST, stated that OPAN's bank accounts had been closed and that donations could only be made in Bitcoin.
However, OPAN quickly alerted its followers to the unauthorized email and warned them not to click on any links or take action. The organization apologized for the incident and assured supporters that it was treating the matter very seriously.
The scam has highlighted the vulnerability of older Australians to online scams. According to data from the National Anti-Scam Centre, people over 65 have lost $49 million to scams this year and reported 24,000 individual incidents.
OPAN is working with technology partners and cyber security experts to understand how the incident occurred and ensure the security of its systems.