I keep getting scam calendar invites – what should I do?

Spam calendar invitations can be more than just an annoyance. They're designed to trick you into responding and, in some cases, simply doing so can confirm to scammers that your email account is active.

Unfortunately, removing these invitations isn't always as simple as deleting the original email. On an iPhone, the calendar invitation can remain in Apple's Calendar app even after the email has been deleted.

But our experts can help. Below, we explain why you shouldn't tap Accept, Maybe or Decline, and share the workaround recommended by the Which? Tech Support team. This way, you can clear the invitation from your calendar without accidentally interacting with the scam.

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The calendar invitation scam explained

In recent months, we've noticed a marked increase in phishing scams that use calendar invitations.

One Which? member told us: 'I've received an unsolicited calendar invitation from an unknown sender via an email and it automatically appeared on the Calendar app on my iPhone, but I have no idea how to get rid of it. The only options it gives me are Accept, Maybe or Decline.

'But I worry that tapping any of these will just cause further problems as it will alert scammers that my email address is active.

'Is there no way I can simply delete the invitation altogether? I use a Microsoft Outlook email address, but send and receive email through the Apple Mail app.'

Why you shouldn't respond

If you receive one of these invitations, resist the temptation to tap Accept, Maybe or Decline in the hope of making it disappear. Any of these options sends an automatic response back to the sender, which can confirm that your email account is active and may lead to more spam or phishing attempts.

How to delete the spam calendar invitation

First, on your iPhone: 

• Tap Settings > Apps > Calendar > Calendar Accounts 
• Here, tap your Outlook account and disable the Calendars option 
• When prompted, tap Delete from My iPhone.

Next, log into your Outlook mail account via outlook.live.com and locate the spam email with the invitation attachment (assuming you haven't deleted it already).

While you're there, it's worth reporting the sender (right-click the message > Report > Report phishing > Report) before opening the Deleted Items folder and permanently deleting the message.

Now go back to your iPhone's Calendar settings and re-enable your Outlook account's Calendar option. 

Your Calendar will repopulate (this may take a while, depending on how many appointments you have), but the offending spam invitation should have been removed.

For more on locking up your data, explore our guide on ways to secure your social media and email accounts

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