Got a meeting in your calendar you don’t recognise? It could be a scam

Imagine this: you open your Google Calendar and spot a meeting scheduled for 10am on Wednesday. But you don’t remember arranging it, you don’t recognise the organiser, and you have no idea what it’s about.

Naturally, you’re curious, so you click on the event to find out more. You’re greeted by a link asking you to sign in or provide personal information, including your password.

Stop right there. If a meeting looks unfamiliar and asks you to share sensitive information, it could be a calendar phishing scam.

Clicking the wrong link could put your personal details, email account and even your money at risk.

Scammers are finding increasingly clever ways to make fraudulent invitations look genuine. And because a meeting appears in your calendar, you might assume it’s legitimate without giving it a second thought.

So, how can you spot a fake meeting before it catches you out?

What’s a calendar phishing scam?

A calendar phishing scam is when a fraudster uses fake meeting invitations, calendar events or appointment reminders to trick you into clicking a malicious link, handing out personal information or taking an action that puts you at risk.

You might receive an unexpected invitation in Google Calendar or another digital calendar, complete with a meeting time, an organiser’s name and a convincing description.

It could even look like a routine work meeting, a job interview or an important account notification.

That’s what makes these scams so effective. When an event appears in your calendar, it can feel more trustworthy than a random email or text message. You might assume someone has simply added you to a meeting you’ve forgotten about.

But that doesn’t mean it’s genuine.

Scammers can exploit calendar invitations and notifications to make fraudulent requests look official. Their aim is to get you to click a link, hand over your login details, download a harmful file or send them money.

How does a calendar phishing scam work?

Although the details can vary, the scam often follows a similar pattern.

You receive an unexpected meeting invitation

A suspicious event suddenly appears in your calendar. It might claim to be a work meeting, a recruitment call, an account security check or a reminder about an important payment.

The invitation gives you a reason to act

The event may contain a link to join a meeting, a phone number to call, an attachment to download or instructions to review a document before the appointment.

The message might sound urgent, suggesting that you need to verify your account, confirm your details or respond before a deadline.

The calendar notification makes it look legitimate

You receive a reminder on your phone or computer, just as you would for a genuine appointment. Because the event appears in your calendar, you might be less suspicious of it.

But a calendar notification is not proof that an invitation is safe.

You click the link or respond to the request

You might be taken to a convincing fake sign-in page, asked to enter your password or encouraged to download a file. In other cases, the scammer might ask you to provide financial information or contact them directly.

The scammer uses your information against you

If you hand over sensitive details, a fraudster could attempt to access your email, steal your identity, carry out payment fraud or use your information to target you with further scams.

The important thing to remember is that you don’t have to follow the invitation’s instructions. If something doesn’t feel right, stop and check before doing anything else.

Four common calendar phishing scams to watch out for

Calendar scams can take several forms, and knowing what to look for can help you recognise the warning signs.

The fake job interview

You receive an invitation to an interview for a job you applied for, or perhaps an opportunity you don’t remember expressing an interest in.

The event includes a link to join a video interview or complete a recruitment form. When you click through, you’re asked to provide personal details, upload identification documents or download unfamiliar software.

How to protect yourself: Check the company’s official website and verify the recruiter independently. If you’re unsure whether you applied for the role, contact the organisation through contact details you find yourself rather than those supplied in the invitation.

Spam calendar events

An unfamiliar event appears in your calendar, perhaps advertising a service, warning you about a security problem or claiming you’ve won a prize.

The event may contain suspicious links, misleading messages or instructions designed to encourage you to respond.

How to protect yourself: Don’t click links or call numbers included in unexpected events. Check your calendar’s invitation settings and avoid interacting with suspicious events unnecessarily.

The fake account security check

You receive a meeting invitation claiming that your Google account, bank account or another online service needs urgent attention.

The event might warn that your account will be suspended unless you verify your identity. A link takes you to a website that looks genuine but is designed to steal your login details.

How to protect yourself: Never enter your password through an unexpected meeting link. If you’re worried about your account, open the service’s official website or app directly and check for security alerts there.

The fake payroll or benefits reminder

An invitation appears to come from your employer, HR department or a benefits provider. It asks you to review your payslip, confirm your bank details or update your personal information before a deadline.

Because the request appears work-related, you might be tempted to comply without checking who sent it.

How to protect yourself: Contact your HR or payroll team using a trusted email address or phone number. Be particularly cautious if you’re asked to provide passwords, payment details or confidential employee information through an unfamiliar link.

How can you protect yourself from calendar phishing scams?

You don’t need to stop using your calendar to stay safe. A few simple precautions can help you spot suspicious invitations before they become a problem.

Check who sent the invitation

Before you accept an unfamiliar meeting, look carefully at the organiser’s name and email address. Does the sender match the person or organisation you would expect to hear from?

Be wary of unfamiliar addresses, misspellings, unusual domains and invitations that claim to come from a company you know but use an unrelated email address.

Remember, though, that a familiar name alone doesn’t guarantee an invitation is genuine.

Think before you click

If a meeting includes a link, attachment or request for information, ask yourself whether it makes sense in context.

Were you expecting the invitation? Do you know the organiser? Is there a convincing reason for you to provide your password or financial details?

If you’re unsure, don’t click. Contact the supposed organiser using a separate, trusted communication channel to check whether the meeting is genuine.

Review your Google Calendar settings

You can reduce unwanted invitations by reviewing how Google Calendar handles meeting requests.

In Google Calendar, open settings, then look for the event settings relating to invitations. Depending on the available options for your account, you may be able to restrict invitations to known senders or have events added automatically only after you’ve responded to an invitation.

These settings can help reduce unwanted events appearing in your calendar. However, they won’t identify every scam, so you should still check unexpected invitations carefully.

Be careful with sensitive information

A genuine meeting organiser shouldn’t need you to disclose your account password through a calendar link.

Avoid entering login credentials, bank details or other sensitive information into websites reached through unexpected invitations. If you need to access a document or account, navigate to the official service directly instead.

If you’re organising meetings yourself, use appropriate authentication controls and share confidential files only through trusted, verified services with the correct access permissions.

Keep your accounts secure

Use strong, unique passwords for your important accounts and enable two-step verification wherever possible. This adds another layer of protection if someone manages to obtain your password.

It’s also worth keeping your browser, operating system and security software up to date, as this can help protect you against known threats.

What should you do if you’ve clicked on a suspicious meeting link?

If you’ve already clicked on a link, don’t panic. What you should do next depends on what happened.

• If you only opened the link: Close the page and don’t enter any information or download anything. If you downloaded a file, opened an attachment or suspect your device may have been compromised, take appropriate security steps.
• If you entered your password: Change it immediately through the service’s official website or app. If you’ve reused that password elsewhere, change it on those accounts too. Review recent account activity and sign out of unfamiliar sessions where possible.
• If you shared bank details or sent money: Contact your bank immediately using its official number or app. Explain what happened and ask what steps you need to take to protect your account or report the transaction.
• If you shared personal information: Watch out for suspicious messages, unexpected account activity and follow-up scams. Consider reporting the incident and seeking advice from the relevant fraud-reporting service.

If you’re in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, you can contact Report Fraud for guidance on reporting fraud.