Calendar invite spam appears because Google Calendar and Apple Calendar can automatically add events from emailed invitations. When a spammer sends an invite to your address, the platform may treat it as a pending event and show it in your calendar even if you never accepted. The fix is to change your auto-add settings, report the event, and be wary of links or phone numbers inside it.
How auto-added invitations work
Email invitations use a standard format called iCalendar, often carried as an attachment named invite.ics or embedded in the message. Google Calendar and Apple Calendar can read these files and create an event for you. By default, some accounts are set to add invitations automatically, which means an event can appear without you clicking “Yes” or “Maybe”.
In Google Calendar, the setting is called “Add invitations to my calendar” and offers options such as “Only if the sender is known” or “When I respond to the invitation in email”. In Apple’s Calendar app on iPhone, iPad and Mac, there is a similar option under Settings or Preferences. The exact wording and default vary by platform, app version and account type, so check your own settings rather than assuming.
Why you are seeing events you never accepted
Spammers and phishers send invitations in bulk because calendar events are hard to ignore. An event pops up as a notification, sits on your calendar, and often includes a link or phone number. Because the invitation arrives as an email, it can bypass some email filters that focus on message bodies rather than attachments.
Common patterns include:
- Fake delivery or payment notices with a “reschedule” link.
- Prize or refund offers that ask you to call a number.
- Meeting requests from unknown senders with a link to a document or video call.
- Recurring events that keep reappearing after you delete them.
These are not genuine invitations. They are a delivery mechanism for spam and phishing.
What are the risks of calendar invite spam?
The main risk is phishing. A calendar event can contain a link that leads to a fake login page, a malware download, or a form that collects personal details. Because the event appears inside your calendar, it may feel more trustworthy than an email in your spam folder.
Other risks include:
- Tracking: clicking a link in the event can confirm your address is active.
- Clutter: repeated events can bury real appointments.
- Social engineering: a phone number in the event may connect you to a premium-rate line or a scam call centre.
Calendar invite spam is rarely a direct technical attack on your device. It is a way to get your attention and persuade you to act.
How to stop calendar invite spam in Google Calendar
Google Calendar’s settings are the first place to look. Open Google Calendar on the web, click the gear icon, and choose Settings. Under “Event settings”, find “Add invitations to my calendar”. Change it to “Only if the sender is known” or “When I respond to the invitation in email”. This stops unknown senders from adding events automatically.
If an event has already appeared, open it and use the “Report spam” option if available, then delete it. You can also block the sender in Gmail. Google’s support pages explain these steps, but the interface changes, so follow the labels you see.
For recurring spam, check whether the event is part of a series. Deleting a single occurrence may not remove the series. Open the event, choose “Delete” and select “All events” if prompted.
How to stop calendar invite spam in Apple Calendar
On iPhone and iPad, go to Settings > Calendar and look for “Invitations”. You can choose to receive notifications only from known people or turn off automatic adding. On Mac, open Calendar > Settings > General and adjust “Add invitations to calendar”. Apple’s support documentation covers these options, though the exact path can change between iOS and macOS versions.
If you receive a suspicious invitation, do not click any links. Delete the event and, if possible, report it as junk. Apple’s Calendar app may show a “Report Junk” option for invitations from unknown senders.
What should you do if you already clicked a link?
If you clicked a link in a calendar event and entered credentials, change your password immediately and enable two-factor authentication. If you downloaded a file, run a security scan. If you called a number, contact your phone provider if you suspect a premium-rate charge.
Report the event to your email provider and, if it impersonates a real company, to that company’s abuse address. Keep an eye on your accounts for unusual activity.
How to reduce the chance of receiving calendar invite spam
Calendar invite spam often starts with your email address being exposed. Use a separate address for signups, forums and trials, and keep your main address for trusted contacts. A disposable address can be useful for one-off signups, but remember that it is receive-only and short-lived; do not use it for anything you need to recover later.
Other habits that help:
- Do not publish your email address on public profiles or forums.
- Use an email alias or plus-addressing for online shopping and newsletters.
- Review your calendar settings after changing devices or accounts.
- Be cautious with “unsubscribe” links in suspicious emails; they can confirm your address.
If you are setting up a new account for a trial or download, a temporary inbox can keep spam away from your primary calendar. See our guide to temp email for free trials and promo codes for when that makes sense.
When to use a real address or alias instead
Calendar invitations are tied to your email address. If you use a disposable address, any invitation sent to it will disappear when the inbox expires. That is fine for a one-off event you do not care about, but not for work meetings, family appointments or anything you need to keep. For those, use a real address or a stable alias.
If you are unsure whether a service is trustworthy, start with an alias and see how it behaves. Our post on email aliases vs disposable email explains the trade-offs.
Sources
- Google Calendar Help: Add invitations to your calendar
- Apple Support: Change Advanced settings in Calendar on Mac
- RFC 5545: Internet Calendaring and Scheduling Core Object Specification (iCalendar)
In short
Calendar invite spam works because platforms can auto-add events from emailed invitations. Change your auto-add settings to “only if the sender is known” or “when I respond”, report and delete suspicious events, and never click links in unexpected invitations. Use a separate address for signups, and keep your real calendar for people and services you trust.