How can I prevent spam invites appearing on my Outlook Calendar

Question

How can I prevent spam invites appearing on my Outlook Calendar

Gary Farrell 25

I get at least 2 or 3 unwanted Invites on my calendar per week. I resort to either deleting the event or, if I can't do that, finding the email in my Junk folder and deleting it.

I have tried "Rules", searching for "Invite" or "Invitation" in the Subject or body, and then Deleting it. I immediately run the Rule. Neither works.

I also tried the Calendar, Events and Invitations settings that filter the various types of Invites.

I could be doing something wrong with configuring these settings but I haven't figured it out.

I am using the latest version of Outlook on Windows 11.

Claire Milne 15 Reputation points

2026-07-01T07:50:49.06+00:00

I am at the point of going to use a new email address and not outlook / hotmail. I get inundated with rude calendar invites on my calendar which is automatically adding them. there is no option to delete, remove etc. I go into junk and report every junk email. I have highest junk settings turned out. there is no setting to not automatically put on your calendar. This is really upsetting me now and causing so much distress. You have to find a way to make this stop. Daily and sometimes more than once a day I am removing the calendar and readding it. I need to use my outlook calendar so that's not an option to not have it.
Brian A 0 Reputation points

2026-07-09T00:39:33.2166667+00:00
Guide: How to Remove a Stuck "Groups.outlook.com" Spam Calendar Event in New Outlook

Step 1: Permanently Delete the Sender's Emails First

Before touching the calendar, you must clear out the source messages to prevent the spammer from tracking your actions.

Search your Inbox, Junk, and Deleted Items folders for any messages from the spammer.

Select the email, hold down Shift, and press Delete on your keyboard.

Bypassing the standard recycle bin via Shift + Delete ensures no "valid address" notification receipt ping is sent back to the spammer.

Step 2: Leave the Exploit Group via the Calendar Entry

Because the spammer added you to a malicious "Outlook Group," you must officially leave the workspace container to erase the calendar entries.

Open your Outlook Calendar and double-click the spam event to open it.

Inside the event window, open the very first/original email the spammer used to initialize the calendar hook.

Click on the Sender's email address layout profile block.

Next to the sender's details, look for the three vertical dots (...) menu icon.

Click the middle dot option, scroll down to the 4th option item row, and click Leave Group.

The entire duplicate calendar and all associated spam appointments will instantly vanish from your app view.

Step 3: Block the Exploited "Groups.outlook.com" Domain

Spammers rely on Microsoft's default group infrastructure settings to bypass your security. Blacklisting their specific address domain cuts off their pipeline completely.

Copy the exact sender address string from the group properties (e.g., ******@groups.outlook.com).

Open your Outlook Settings (the gear icon at the top right).

Navigate to Mail > Junk email.

Under Blocked senders and domains, click + Add.

Paste the spam address string. To proactively secure your account against future iterations of this trick, explicitly add the core domain variation root: groups.outlook.com

Click Save.Guide: How to Remove a Stuck "Groups.outlook.com" Spam Calendar Event in New Outlook Step 1: Permanently Delete the Sender's Emails First Before touching the calendar, you must clear out the source messages to prevent the spammer from tracking your actions.

Search your Inbox, Junk, and Deleted Items folders for any messages from the spammer.

Select the email, hold down Shift, and press Delete on your keyboard.

Bypassing the standard recycle bin via Shift + Delete ensures no "valid address" notification receipt ping is sent back to the spammer.

Step 2: Leave the Exploit Group via the Calendar Entry Because the spammer added you to a malicious "Outlook Group," you must officially leave the workspace container to erase the calendar entries.

Open your Outlook Calendar and double-click the spam event to open it.

Inside the event window, open the very first/original email the spammer used to initialize the calendar hook.

Click on the Sender's email address layout profile block.

Next to the sender's details, look for the three vertical dots (...) menu icon.

Click the middle dot option, scroll down to the 4th option item row, and click Leave Group.

The entire duplicate calendar and all associated spam appointments will instantly vanish from your app view.

Step 3: Block the Exploited "Groups.outlook.com" Domain Spammers rely on Microsoft's default group infrastructure settings to bypass your security. Blacklisting their specific address domain cuts off their pipeline completely.

Copy the exact sender address string from the group properties (e.g., ******@groups.outlook.com).

Open your Outlook Settings (the gear icon at the top right).

Navigate to Mail > Junk email.

Under Blocked senders and domains, click + Add.

Paste the spam address string. To proactively secure your account against future iterations of this trick, explicitly add the core domain variation root: groups.outlook.com

Click Save.
Brent Garripee 0 Reputation points

2026-07-28T18:38:41.27+00:00

These settings don't seem to exist anymore. Great reason to start unwinding from Outlook/Hotmail. Y'all suck.

4 answers

Your answer

Claire Milne 15 Reputation points

2026-07-01T07:50:49.06+00:00

I am at the point of going to use a new email address and not outlook / hotmail. I get inundated with rude calendar invites on my calendar which is automatically adding them. there is no option to delete, remove etc. I go into junk and report every junk email. I have highest junk settings turned out. there is no setting to not automatically put on your calendar. This is really upsetting me now and causing so much distress. You have to find a way to make this stop. Daily and sometimes more than once a day I am removing the calendar and readding it. I need to use my outlook calendar so that's not an option to not have it.
Brent Garripee 0 Reputation points

2026-07-28T18:38:41.27+00:00

These settings don't seem to exist anymore. Great reason to start unwinding from Outlook/Hotmail. Y'all suck.

Answer 1

Claire Milne 15

Its driving me insane, I am daily having to delete and reinstall my hotmail calendar but I am seriously considering changing my email address away from outlook if they can't sort this out. None of the solutions work, the suggestions don't even have the options they are telling us to do. It's not good enough. As you can tell I'm at the end of my tether. I get about 20 of these emails a day which I've reported every single one and they still manage to attack my calendar.

Gill Whiteman 0 Reputation points

2026-07-05T07:06:40.7433333+00:00

Me too! I don’t have the options which are suggested in the mail or calendar settings.

I’m receiving monthly junk emails about cloud storage accompanied by automatic calendar inserts that last for weeks. As fast as I block the sender another one replaces it.

PLEASE CAN SOMEONE SUGGEST A DIFFERENT OPTION!!! 😫
Brian A 0 Reputation points

2026-07-09T00:42:37.29+00:00
Guide: How to Remove a Stuck "Groups.outlook.com" Spam Calendar Event in New Outlook

Step 1: Permanently Delete the Sender's Emails First

Before touching the calendar, you must clear out the source messages to prevent the spammer from tracking your actions.

Search your Inbox, Junk, and Deleted Items folders for any messages from the spammer.

Select the email, hold down Shift, and press Delete on your keyboard.

Bypassing the standard recycle bin via Shift + Delete ensures no "valid address" notification receipt ping is sent back to the spammer.

Step 2: Leave the Exploit Group via the Calendar Entry

Because the spammer added you to a malicious "Outlook Group," you must officially leave the workspace container to erase the calendar entries.

Open your Outlook Calendar and double-click the spam event to open it.

Inside the event window, open the very first/original email the spammer used to initialize the calendar hook.

Click on the Sender's email address layout profile block.

Next to the sender's details, look for the three vertical dots (...) menu icon.

Click the middle dot option, scroll down to the 4th option item row, and click Leave Group.

The entire duplicate calendar and all associated spam appointments will instantly vanish from your app view.

Step 3: Block the Exploited "Groups.outlook.com" Domain

Spammers rely on Microsoft's default group infrastructure settings to bypass your security. Blacklisting their specific address domain cuts off their pipeline completely.

Copy the exact sender address string from the group properties (e.g., ******@groups.outlook.com).

Open your Outlook Settings (the gear icon at the top right).

Navigate to Mail > Junk email.

Under Blocked senders and domains, click + Add.

Paste the spam address string. To proactively secure your account against future iterations of this trick, explicitly add the core domain variation root: groups.outlook.com

Click Save.

Guide: How to Remove a Stuck "Groups.outlook.com" Spam Calendar Event in New Outlook

Step 1: Permanently Delete the Sender's Emails First

Before touching the calendar, you must clear out the source messages to prevent the spammer from tracking your actions.

Search your Inbox, Junk, and Deleted Items folders for any messages from the spammer.

Select the email, hold down Shift, and press Delete on your keyboard.

Bypassing the standard recycle bin via Shift + Delete ensures no "valid address" notification receipt ping is sent back to the spammer.

Step 2: Leave the Exploit Group via the Calendar Entry

Because the spammer added you to a malicious "Outlook Group," you must officially leave the workspace container to erase the calendar entries.

Open your Outlook Calendar and double-click the spam event to open it.

Inside the event window, open the very first/original email the spammer used to initialize the calendar hook.

Click on the Sender's email address layout profile block.

Next to the sender's details, look for the three vertical dots (...) menu icon.

Click the middle dot option, scroll down to the 4th option item row, and click Leave Group.

The entire duplicate calendar and all associated spam appointments will instantly vanish from your app view.

Step 3: Block the Exploited "Groups.outlook.com" Domain

Spammers rely on Microsoft's default group infrastructure settings to bypass your security. Blacklisting their specific address domain cuts off their pipeline completely.

Copy the exact sender address string from the group properties (e.g., ******@groups.outlook.com).

Open your Outlook Settings (the gear icon at the top right).

Navigate to Mail > Junk email.

Under Blocked senders and domains, click + Add.

Paste the spam address string. To proactively secure your account against future iterations of this trick, explicitly add the core domain variation root: groups.outlook.com

Click Save.
Brian A 0 Reputation points

2026-07-24T21:18:19.9+00:00

I have an update as we try (through trial and error this is ongoing) to report to Microsoft Oulook in way by all of users that will get result. Feel free to try comment and use as much as you can to attact attention from Microsoft Outlook and remove calender adds Steps to to remove and report in hopes we can-Force Microsoft Tech Support to See Unblockable Calendar Spam (Spoofed Domains)

I have been sending this to Microsoft help feedback every day for almost two weeks. Spammers are using a backend Outlook exploit to force malicious calendar adds into our accounts using hidden, disguised, and spoofed domains (like @groupsoutlook.com or @zoomgroups.com). Standard blocking fails, but I have found a sequence that forces Microsoft's technical support to view the telemetry.

Here is the exact order of operations to record and report this bug:

Clean your Junk folder: First, go through your routine junk emails and report them all as Phishing. Do not leave this step out; you want to report all standard junk so that your folder clears down to only the malicious calendar-creation spam emails.

Open the Feedback ticket: Go to the Help menu at the top and select Feedback.

Paste the event description: In the feedback issue/concern box, paste the calendar event description text (which I will paste below or a similar report).

Initiate the screen recording: Click the built-in Record button. When the box opens asking which window you want to share with Microsoft, select your Junk folder window.

Capture the Junk folder telemetry: Let it record your Junk folder window for about 5 to 10 seconds.

Capture the Calendar exploit: While still recording, immediately switch over to your Outlook Calendar. Select Show All, and then click on your calendars and uncheck your regular Outlook calendar. This specific step hides your clean schedule and forces all the malicious calendar adds onto the screen, recording them directly for the Microsoft team to analyze.

Submit diagnostics: Ensure the radio buttons for "Use diagnostic data" and "You can contact me" are both set to Yes, then hit submit.

Then report this as phishing spam. Next, find the newly created calendar: go to your calendar dropdown and select "Show All." I then click on each malicious calendar, open each one, and click on the oldest event from that sender (the first string of events). Look for the sender's name in the small window that opens. You have to do this for each one and click on the sender—it is located in the middle of the pop-up window you are currently in. For example, I see the name "Linda Taylor." Clicking on it reveals "******@groups.outlook.com".

Then, click on the three dots (...) at the top of the pop-up window, select "Give feedback on member," and paste the same message below (or your own custom version). Next, down from the top, select "Member Overview" or "Other." I don’t know if it matters; I just select "Member" because I am trying to point them to the malicious actors breaking the Microsoft Outlook backend. Paste the comment into the box again, select the radio buttons for "Yes, share" and "Yes, you may contact me."

I am hoping that if we bombard Microsoft with enough reports of the same issue both ways—and with enough users doing it—they will finally fix it, as the Microsoft Support Group Support chats and online help comments and follow-ups have been fruitless so far.

Once you complete that, go back and start the sequence over in the group calendar you opened. Find the newly created calendar, click on each malicious calendar to open it, click the oldest event from that sender (the first string of events), click the sender's name in the small window that opens, go to the three dots (...) at the top, click to open them, and select "Leave the group." The calendar will now disappear from your Calendars.

The main issue is that these malicious bots and scammers are creating new events every single day, so we have to report heavily using this method to force Microsoft to fix the Outlook program backend vulnerabilities. It's driving me crazy.
Cyndy Van Overbeke 0 Reputation points

2026-08-07T15:28:19.4466667+00:00
I don’t know if this will help anyone but I just kept asking AI and struggling with its many dumb answers until I got to a solution. I don’t quite understand all the lingo but it seems to have worked. Don’t forget to argue with AI or ask it to double check (or attach a photo of your screen if it’s just junk email) as it is slow and often wrong but it will figure it out. You will have a headache, but it can be done.

The Problem

Scammers send fake meeting invitations to your email. Even if the email goes straight to your Junk folder, your iPad automatically processes the invite and forces it onto your calendar, blocking you from deleting it normally.

The Solution: How to Wipe It Out

To safely delete the fake invites without accidentally clicking the malicious links or alerting the scammer, you have to disconnect the synced calendar in your iPad Settings:

Open iPad Settings: Tap the gray Settings app (the gears icon) on the home screen.

Search for Mail Accounts: Type "Mail" into the search bar and tap Mail Accounts from the left list.

Select the Email Provider: Tap on your Outlook or Hotmail account from the list on the right.

Turn Off Calendars: Find the row labeled Calendars and flip the green toggle switch to OFF.

Confirm the Safe Removal: When the iPad asks you to confirm by saying "Delete from My iPad," tap it.

This safely breaks the connection, instantly vaporizing all the spam invites and fake entries without touching your real, personal appointments (which are safely stored under your iCloud account).

Answer 2

Arlene D 36,210 Independent Advisor

Hello, are these spam invites from external senders outside your organization or from random email addresses?

Use the built in calendar setting to stop Outlook from adding invites automatically. Open Outlook, select Settings, then go to Calendar, then Events and invitations. Turn off the option “Add events to my calendar from email” and set it to only add events from known senders or turn it off completely. Then go to Mail, then Tracking, and set responses to meeting requests to Never send a response automatically. This keeps unknown invites from being added to your calendar unless you accept them manually.

Austin 5 Reputation points

2026-06-22T17:55:41.4466667+00:00

Hello,

Where is this option now? Doesn't seem to be anywhere in New or Classic Outlook.
emc00713 50 Reputation points

2026-06-24T01:20:40.58+00:00

Why is it that these types of instructions NEVER MATCH WHAT THE APPLICATION OPTIONS ARE??? Someone answer Austin's question from above!
TJ 0 Reputation points

2026-07-01T21:38:11.6966667+00:00

none of the suggested settings to change even show up as an option in the latest outlook to stop this
Edmonds writer 0 Reputation points

2026-07-22T04:40:09.4666667+00:00

I don't think Microsoft understands how their products work. I see their answers match the AI summaries and neither is accurate assessment of what occurs in my version of Outlook 2021.

First, when a spammer sends out an email, they generally spoof someone else's email (e.g., ******@zoom.us) which I can't block as a spammer given the number of legitimate invites I receive from that domain.

Second, I am unable to mark a spam invite as junk as I can only accept or decline--I do neither, I delete the invite. When I delete the invite without engaging, it still shows up on my calendar as a valid invite but with a temporary status. I don't want it on my calendar. I have to make a note of the date and locate it on my calendar and manually delete.

Third, my options under Options > Calendar > Auto Accept/Decline (none of which are unchecked) are:

Automatically accept meeting requests and remove cancelled meeting

Automatically decline meeting requests that conflict with an existing appointment or meeting

Automatically decline reoccurring meeting requests

Seeing as none of these are checked, the advice given seems to tell me that I shouldn't be receiving spam invites but I am. Also, these rules are so specific that by checking any of the boxes, I would be missing out

My recommended solution is that you allow spam invites to be treated like spam; in the invite there's an option to mark as spam, the temporary meeting hold is deleted from my calendar when it is marked as spam, and the invite goes into the junk folder.
Robert Koharchik 40 Reputation points

2026-08-15T01:19:58.44+00:00

This is an absolutely massive issue on Microsoft's part. I can't believe how long this has gone unadressed.

Answer 3

TJ 0

None of the answers including the AI answer have those options / setttings in the latest outlook (to filte, block ect..), can someone please share how to top spammers that just automatically get on our outlook calendars with no email message (to report as spam or block) We keep getting a spammers on our company email calendars webinars from webinargeek that we didn't accept, agree too ect.. and there is no way to report is as spam or block them from getting on our calendars like we accepted it (and didnt)

Paul Fox 10 Reputation points

2026-07-02T12:41:34.9766667+00:00

This is a serious problem. Many of the calendar invites are coming from a xxxx.groups.outlook.com No way to block these. Office365 filtering should be able to block these or at least give us the option to.
Yang 0 Reputation points

2026-07-28T13:38:13.7766667+00:00

This is a big security vulnerably with the Outlook calendar design. I'm unable to locate the recommended settings in Outlook Classic and web that others + AI recommended in this thread. Also, the invite can be scheduled way ahead of current date or year and it is very difficult to find. I was unable to locate the disturbing calendar alert I received this morning using the calendar list view. Sure, this may be annoying for personal account users but there will be a day when threat actors are able to bypass organizational firewalls.

Answer 4

Use a combination of junk filtering, blocked senders, and calendar invitation settings so spam invites never reach the calendar.

Strengthen junk filtering and block the senders/domains
- In Outlook (new Outlook for Windows / Outlook on the web):
  1. Select Settings (gear icon).
  2. Go to Mail > Junk email.
  3. Under Blocked senders and domains, select Add blocked sender and add the email addresses or domains that are sending the spam invites.
  4. Select OK, then Save.
- Messages from these senders will go directly to Junk Email and will not normally generate useful calendar items.
- If any legitimate senders are being misclassified, add them under Safe senders and domains instead so their messages never go to Junk.
Use Outlook’s junk mail features instead of rules
- Outlook’s built-in Junk E-mail Filter is designed to detect and move spam to the Junk E-mail folder automatically, including spam that contains meeting requests.
- This is more effective than simple subject/body rules because it uses additional spam signals. Ensure junk filtering is enabled and rely on it for most spam invites rather than custom rules.
Turn off automatic processing that can help spammers
- Spammers sometimes use meeting requests and read/delivery receipts to confirm that an address is valid.
- Reduce this by turning off automatic processing of meeting requests and read/delivery receipts where possible, especially for messages coming from outside trusted senders. This lowers the chance that interacting with a spam invite confirms the address and leads to more spam.
Adjust calendar “Events and invitations” behavior (for Outlook on the web / new Outlook)
- In Outlook on the web:
  1. Select Settings > View all Outlook settings.
  2. Go to Calendar > Events and invitations.
  3. Review options such as automatic processing of invitations and whether invitations are deleted from the Inbox after responding.
- For spam control, keep invites visible in mail (so they can be treated as junk) and avoid auto-accepting or auto-processing invites from unknown senders.
Regularly clear Junk and verify blocked/safe lists
- Periodically empty the Junk Email folder so old spam invites and their calendar items are removed.
- Re-check Blocked senders and domains and Safe senders and domains to ensure no spam domain has been accidentally added as safe.

If spam invites continue after blocking and junk filtering, review any mailbox rules again to ensure none are moving spam messages out of Junk or automatically accepting invites.

References: