What is the calendar scam on iPhone? Hackers are flooding iPhone calendars with spam to steal sensitive information

Smartphones have become the survival toolkit for our daily affairs, from work meetings to family dinners, but on the contrary, they've also become playgrounds for scammers looking for easy entry points.

We trust apps like calendars to stay ahead and plan things well in advance, be it a holiday or work schedules. Yet, a quiet invasion is underway, as fake invites have begun popping up uninvited, designed to rattle nerves and steal data.

What is the calendar scam that has hit iPhones

iPhone users worldwide are facing a surge in spam calendar invites that overwhelm the built-in app with fake events. These aren't harmless; scammers design them to copy the appearance of urgent alerts about big purchases or security breaches, leading panicked users to click phishing links.

According to a Unilad report, cybersecurity experts say that this tactic is rising because calendar invites bypass Apple's tough email filters, landing directly in your notifications.

According to Uniladtech, "these spam invites sit in your Apple calendar with the intent to scare and intimidate people into handing over information that could grant hackers access to your device, or worse, your bank account".

The New York Post explains how these invites dodge security protocols, appearing official with invoice details, unlike obvious email scams.

How does the scam look like

It often starts innocently, with just a pop-up click or a shady link adding an unwanted calendar subscription without you noticing. Once subscribed, your lock screen floods with alerts urging action, like disputing fake charges.

Something as simple as tapping a dubious ad can trigger it, turning your calendar into a spam hub. Newsweek reports cybercriminals use this no-malware method to barrage iPhones with fraud alerts.

How to stay safe from the fraud?

Apple provides clear fixes for earlier iOS versions, but for later versions, users can follow some simple steps.

Open Calendar, tap Calendars at the bottom, find unknowns via More info, and delete.

If needed, go to Settings > Calendar > Accounts (or Passwords & Accounts on iOS 13) > Subscribed Calendars, then delete suspicious ones or contact Apple support.

According to a New York Post report, experts urge: "You need to go into your Calendar subscriptions and remove any that you do not recognize as having subscribed to, and then be more careful in opening emails going forward". It is also advised to block sender emails too for extra protection.

It is also important to remember to never click mystery links - it's the golden rule.