Posted
on Wednesday, March 18, 2026
in
Identity Theft Prevention
In this week’s scam, you open your Microsoft Outlook calendar and see an unexpected meeting invitation. The meeting is titled “Final Notice: Payroll Acknowledgement Required” and appears to be urgent. If you open the event, you'll find a PDF attachment with a QR code and instructions to scan the code for more information.
However, the meeting invitation you received was sent by cybercriminals! If you scan the QR code and pass a brief security check, you are directed to what appears to be a Microsoft 365 login page. You are prompted to enter your username and password to access your Outlook account and read further details about the meeting. But this login page is fake, and if you enter your user information, cybercriminals will steal it!
Follow these tips to avoid falling victim to this phishing scam:
- If you do see a suspicious meeting appear on your calendar, don't select any links or open any attachments in the invitation.
- Unusual or alarming meeting invitations should be treated like suspicious emails. Be sure to follow your organization's policies for reporting them!
- Remember that cybercriminals use urgent-sounding language, such as "Final Notice," to scare you into acting impulsively. Always stop and think before you take action!
Article provided by:
KnowBe4.com