Fake Calendar Invites Fuel Phishing Surge

Help Net Security · Medium sophistication
Last updated October 20, 2026

Attackers are using fake calendar invitations to bypass normal email defenses and lure people into credential theft or malware downloads. The invites may appear in a user’s calendar even when the related phishing email is quarantined, making unexpected meeting entries a new route for account and device compromise.

Key findings

  • Check Point observed fake calendar-invite campaigns aimed at stealing Microsoft account credentials.
  • Some campaigns use valid .ics calendar attachments, while others add links to credential-harvesting pages in the email body.
  • A separate campaign used a Google Calendar invite with a financial lure and a Framer-hosted page to deliver a ScreenConnect installer.
  • Calendar events may still reach a target’s calendar even if the associated phishing email is quarantined.
  • Key warning signs include unexpected invites from free email accounts, financial urgency, and links to free website builders.

Who’s being targeted

  • Commonly targeted roles: All employees, Finance staff, Executive assistants, IT and security teams.
  • Affected industries: Organizations using Microsoft accounts, Organizations using Google Calendar, All industries.
  • Attack channels: email, website.
  • Impersonated: Microsoft sign-in service, Unspecified business contact or financial requester.

Awareness takeaways

  • Treat an unexpected calendar entry like an unexpected email: do not click links merely to find out why the meeting appeared.
  • Never enter work credentials after following a link in an unfamiliar meeting invitation; navigate to the normal sign-in page instead.
  • Verify unfamiliar meeting requests with the supposed sender using a known, separate communication method before acting.
  • Do not override browser download warnings for files linked from calendar invitations, especially when the invite comes from a free email account or contains financial urgency.

Red flags to watch for

  • The invite is unexpected or from a first-time sender.
  • The message includes a link asking the recipient to sign in.
  • The sender uses a free email account or the sign-in page is not an official Microsoft domain.
  • The calendar invite uses financial urgency.
  • The link leads to a page hosted on a free website builder.
  • The browser displays a warning before a software download.
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Read the video transcript

An invite appeared on your calendar? That doesn't mean it's safe. One fake meeting says, 'Sign in to review the meeting details.' Its .ics invite or email link opens a spoofed Microsoft sign-in page built to steal your password. Another Google Calendar invite from Gmail pushes an 'urgent financial meeting.' Its link goes to a Framer page offering ScreenConnect, even after your browser warns about the download. The aha: email quarantine doesn't quarantine your calendar. Unexpected invite? Confirm it with the sender using a contact method you already know.

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