Scam calendar invites warning: How to stop fraudsters targeting Outlook and Google diaries

Fraudsters are sending fake calendar invitations that spring up alongside genuine appointments.

Invitations often reference subscription renewals, unexpected payments, online meetings or security warnings.

The messages could claim a large payment is about to be taken from your bank account and urge you to call a number or click a link to cancel it.

The tactic can feel more invasive than fake emails and also be more convincing if you are not expecting it.

Google and Microsoft both offer settings that can help users manage calendar events and invitations, although the steps differ depending on how the unwanted event reaches your diary.

But if an unexpected event appears in your calendar, do not click its links or call any phone number listed in the description. Instead, check the sender and report or remove the event.

Here's how to protect yourself.

How do calendar invitation scams work?

Calendar spam can reach you in several ways.

Scammers may send a meeting invitation directly to your email address, which can then appear in your calendar depending on your settings. Alternatively, some calendar services can automatically create events from information contained in emails.

Fraudsters exploit these features to put alarming messages in front of you without relying on you opening an ordinary email.

For example, a fake invitation might claim that a large payment for antivirus software or another subscription is due to be taken or your account has been compromised and needs urgent attention.

The aim is typically to make you panic and act quickly.

If you call the number, a scammer may pose as a customer service representative and try to persuade you to reveal personal information, share a password or transfer money.

How to stop fake invitations in Google Calendar

Google Calendar lets you control which invitations are automatically added to your calendar.

Google's current settings include an option to add invitations only when the sender is known, or to add events only after you respond to an invitation by email.

To change select Settings and under General, select 'event settings' and then 'add invitations to my calendar.

Select Only if the sender is known to restrict automatic additions to people in your contacts, your organisation or people you have previously interacted with.

Or When I respond to the invitation in email if you want events added only after you respond.

These settings can reduce unwanted events, but they don't guarantee that every kind of calendar spam will be blocked so be on your guard.

How to stop fake invites in Apple Calendar

If you use Apple Calendar with iCloud, you can report a suspicious invitation as junk.

To do this open the calendar on a computer or tablet and sign in to your Apple Account, open the suspicious event and select 'report junk'.

Apple says the event will then be removed from your calendar on devices using the same Apple Account with iCloud Calendar enabled.

If you are receiving invitations by email, you can also review how iCloud delivers calendar invitations. On iCloud.com, open Calendar settings, select Account and choose whether to receive invitations as in-app notifications or by email.

Changing how invitations are delivered does not necessarily block every unwanted invitation, so report suspicious events when the option is available.

How to stop fake calendar events in Outlook

Outlook has a feature called Events from email, which can automatically add supported events found in messages, such as certain travel reservations.

This is separate from ordinary meeting invitations, so switching off automatic event creation from emails will not necessarily stop spam meeting requests.

To review the Events from email setting sign into Outlook on a browser and under settings go to Calendar, then Events from email.

You can then review the available options for each type of event.

Select the option that prevents events from being added to your calendar, or choose to show summaries in email without adding them to the calendar.

The wording varies depending on your Outlook version.