A well-known First Nations artist based at Dubbo has told of a fake social media account and website stealing his identity in a bid to scam money, and using the Black Lives Matter cause as a hook.
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Allan McKenzie said it "shook [him] to the core" when he realised his Facebook page had been duplicated and his followers sent a link to a bogus website in his name.
The Wiradjuri-Gamilaroi man estimated more than 1000 people were directed to the fake page to make purchases and donations.
Mr McKenzie, who performed didgeridoo at the finale of February's Fire Fight Australia bushfire relief concert on stage with John Farnham, Olivia Newton-John, Brian May and Mitch Tambo, said he was "really devastated" by the scam.
"It really shook me to the core, that I'd been a victim of identity theft and that these people proceeded to do what they did," he said.
"I'm a caring person of people, I like supporting fundraisers and giveaways and helping people, and it really took me back.
"...[The scammers] put my face on a Black Lives Matter campaign to raise money."
It really shook me to the core, that I'd been a victim of identity theft...
- Artist Allan McKenzie
It comes after Dubbo cafe The Gallery also reported its Facebook page was hacked last week and its followers targeted.
Mr McKenzie said he was made aware of the scam by loyal followers.
"Myself and my wife were contacted by people off social media, through hundreds of messages within minutes, saying 'I just wanted to check with you, if this was you', and it wasn't," he said.
"So we had hundreds of messages within the space of half an hour..."
The artist and artefact maker reported the matter to police and Facebook.
He also got on the front foot to alert his more than 80,000 followers on the social media platform.
"[I] did a live video telling everyone, 'look, there's been an imposter account that's tried to duplicate our website, and also our business on social media, and to be on the lookout for people who contact you with a false, misleading Facebook page'," he said.
Mr McKenzie urged people using online for business to be mindful.
"To have a professional ecommerce website is one of the big things I can recommend, that's what basically saved us, because they couldn't infiltrate the security of our ecommerce," he said.
Faye Wheeler
I have been a journalist for more than a decade and in that time I have been keeping Daily Liberal readers up to date about issues affecting them and what's happening in their community. Throughout my career I have covered a range of rounds and most recently I have been focusing on the business round.
I have been a journalist for more than a decade and in that time I have been keeping Daily Liberal readers up to date about issues affecting them and what's happening in their community. Throughout my career I have covered a range of rounds and most recently I have been focusing on the business round.
