Oliver from CyberNut discusses the latest Google Calendar scam and shows you how to protect yourself from it.

What Is The Scam?

If you use Gmail, your Google Calendar may suddenly display a pop-up notification. You’ll be invited to claim a cash reward, which the notification says will be payable on completion of a short survey.

There may be tempting words included in the pop-up to try and lure you in. Over time, you could receive loads of these invites from total strangers.

Why Is This Occurring?

Your Calendar app has default settings that allow anyone to send you calendar invites. This enables people you know to put something into your calendar – but people you don’t know can add events to your calendar as well.

According to Oliver, ‘This function lets your friends invite you for a coffee or meal out, or your boss or colleagues can use it to arrange meetings. On the downside, cybercriminals can use this feature to perform scams.’

What’s The Risk?

Scammers want you to click on the pop-up notification and go to the scam site they’ve set up. You may be asked to make a ‘fixing’ payment to receive your prize. This involves revealing your credit card details, name, phone number, address, and more. Rather than receiving a cash payment, your money or identity could be stolen.

Research by CyberNut found that over six months, the scam email that fooled teachers most often was a Google Calendar alert that claimed to be an important meeting on changes to the semester’s exam schedule. Oliver says, ‘This scam is still a novelty to many, and Google Calendar’s software makes the communication appear genuine.’

How Can You Protect Yourself?

Go into the Google Calendar ‘Settings’ menu, and scroll down to ‘Event Settings’. Where it says, ‘Automatically add invitations,’ opt for, ‘No – only show invitations to which I have responded.’

You should also deselect the ‘show declined events’ box in the View Options menu. This way, you won’t need to keep seeing the blocked scam attempts.

Oliver says, ‘Never enter your personal data online if you’re unsure who’s requesting it. Also, stay up to date with the latest scams to make sure you’re fully aware.’

This new feature enables appointment providers to connect their Stripe account to Google Calendar, allowing them to set a price for their services and accept payments directly through the booking page.

The integration of paid appointment bookings aims to address common challenges faced by small business owners, such as reducing no-shows and expanding their business opportunities. Requiring upfront payment helps to ensure a higher commitment level from customers and enables businesses to manage their time and payments more efficiently.

Here’s how it works: When creating an appointment schedule in Google Calendar, appointment providers can connect their Stripe account and establish the desired price for their services. The person booking the appointment will then visit the booking page, select their preferred time slot, and provide their credit card information.

It’s important to note that Google Calendar will redirect bookers to Stripe for payment processing. Google does not process or store any payment information, including credit card numbers. Google does not charge any platform fees for this integration. In the event of cancellations or refund requests, providers and bookers will need to handle these directly through the Stripe dashboard, as Google cannot assist with payment or refund issues.

The rollout of this feature will occur in phases, with gradual visibility over a span of up to 15 days. Admin settings began rolling out on July 10, 2023, for both Rapid and Scheduled Release domains. End user settings will follow, with Rapid Release domains starting on July 20, 2023, and Scheduled Release domains commencing on July 31, 2023.

Paid appointment bookings in Google Calendar will be available to a range of users, including Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Standard, Education Plus, the Teaching and Learning Upgrade, Nonprofits, and Workspace Individual customers.

This integration offers a seamless and efficient way for businesses to streamline their appointment scheduling process, increase their revenue, and enhance customer engagement. By leveraging the power of Google Calendar and Stripe, appointment providers can now offer a convenient and secure payment experience to their clients.

As Google continues to innovate and expand its suite of productivity tools, the integration of paid appointment bookings in Google Calendar demonstrates its commitment to meeting the evolving needs of businesses and individuals alike.