Summer may be winding down, but scammers are still using celebrations, gatherings, and special events as opportunities to steal personal information.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is warning consumers about fake party and event invitations sent through text messages or emails. These messages may appear to come from popular invitation platforms or even look like they were sent by someone you know. Instead of leading you to event details, they ask you to enter your email address, password, phone number, or a verification code.
Don’t fall for it. Legitimate invitations will not require you to provide your email login credentials or a security code to RSVP.
If scammers gain access to your email account, they may:
- Take over your account
- Reset passwords for other accounts
- Send the same scam messages to your friends, family or coworkers
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BBB Tips to Avoid Phishing Scams:
- Don’t click unexpected links in emails or texts—even if they appear to come from someone you know.
- Verify invitations directly with the sender using a phone number or contact method you trust.
- Use two-factor authentication whenever possible to add an extra layer of security.
- Keep your devices and security software updated.
If you believe your account information was compromised, change your passwords immediately and monitor your accounts.
Think you received a phishing attempt? Forward suspicious emails to the Anti-Phishing Working Group at [email protected], send unwanted texts to SPAM (7726), and report scams to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and bbb.org/scamtracker
Stay alert. A simple click can give scammers the access they need.
Learn more about protecting yourself from scams at BBB.org.
