Beware of fake antivirus renewals appearing in your calendar

Security experts have detected a new wave of scams impersonating well-known antivirus companies, but with an unusual twist: instead of arriving by email, the “renewal” notices slip directly into the victim’s calendar as an appointment. Taking advantage of the fact that many apps accept invitations automatically, criminals insert events that pretend to be an invoice or a payment reminder. The amount is usually several hundred euros, high enough to cause anxiety. The clever part of the trick is that it bypasses email spam filters, because technically it is not an email but a calendar event.

The ultimate goal is not for you to pay, but for you to call the “support” number shown in the appointment, where a scammer will try to extract sensitive information: your card number, your bank details or one-time verification codes. They also often ask you to install remote access software on the pretext of “cancelling the charge”, which in practice hands them control of your computer. This threat affects both individuals and SMEs, since any known email address can receive these unsolicited invitations.