University of Pennsylvania officials have confirmed that a malicious email sent to students and alumni this week was entirely fabricated, despite its appearance and language suggesting otherwise.
The email, which made its way into inboxes across the city, contained vitriolic language aimed at Penn, labeling it "elitist" and urging recipients to boycott donations. The message claimed that Penn's security practices were subpar and criticized the university's use of affirmative action, a policy invalidated by the US Supreme Court last year.
Penn's Office of Information Security is currently working to address the issue, emphasizing that nothing in the offending email accurately reflects the institution's values or policies. In fact, students and alumni reported receiving multiple instances of the message, with some even reporting receiving it from emails they didn't recognize as coming from Penn employees.
The malicious message was sent under the guise of an "action required" subject line, further adding to its authenticity. However, experts warn that scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their tactics, making it harder for recipients to discern fact from fiction.
This incident marks the second time this year that University of Pennsylvania students have been targeted by a satirical email. In January, a fake message was sent claiming that Penn's interim President Larry Jameson would be replaced.
The email, which made its way into inboxes across the city, contained vitriolic language aimed at Penn, labeling it "elitist" and urging recipients to boycott donations. The message claimed that Penn's security practices were subpar and criticized the university's use of affirmative action, a policy invalidated by the US Supreme Court last year.
Penn's Office of Information Security is currently working to address the issue, emphasizing that nothing in the offending email accurately reflects the institution's values or policies. In fact, students and alumni reported receiving multiple instances of the message, with some even reporting receiving it from emails they didn't recognize as coming from Penn employees.
The malicious message was sent under the guise of an "action required" subject line, further adding to its authenticity. However, experts warn that scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their tactics, making it harder for recipients to discern fact from fiction.
This incident marks the second time this year that University of Pennsylvania students have been targeted by a satirical email. In January, a fake message was sent claiming that Penn's interim President Larry Jameson would be replaced.
. So they're saying the email wasn't even real? Like, what's next? Scammers are getting better at making fake emails that look like they're coming from legit sources... it's crazy 
. And the fact that Penn had to deal with multiple instances of this email... I mean, how many times do you have to get fooled before you start to think something is up? 
. It's like, can't we just take a moment to verify info before hitting reply all? This whole thing just feels like too much drama for my taste 
.
, while 27% admitted to feeling anxious or stressed after seeing it 
. Meanwhile, the US Supreme Court invalidated affirmative action in 2024... which is pretty wild considering this email claimed it was still an issue 
. I mean, scammers are getting more creative, like 75% of students reported receiving fake emails from unknown senders 
. And, oh yeah, Penn's been hit twice this year already? That's just crazy 
. I'm glad Penn's security team is on it and telling everyone what's really going on. These scammers might think they're sneaky, but we need to stay vigilant 
.
The fact that they were sending out emails with such convincing messages just to scam people is just wild. It's like, can't we all just take a deep breath and verify the info before acting on it? 
. It's like, we get it, Penn can be elitist, but do we have to call them out on it in this way? 
. i'm not surprised penn is getting targeted though, universities are basically sitting ducks for these kinds of attacks. what's the point of even trying to keep up with these scammers? should be easier to spot a fake email if you're paying attention 
This is getting ridiculous! I mean, come on, who tries to create a phishing scam like this? 
. How many times do universities have to be targeted by these kind of scams before people start taking action to protect themselves?