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Graduation season is upon us, heralding a time for celebrations and gatherings. However, amidst the excitement, a sinister trend has emerged: scammers are leveraging fake Evite-style invitations to deceive unsuspecting individuals into revealing passwords and security codes.
WASHINGTON — As summer approaches and the calendar fills with cookouts and graduation parties, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued a crucial warning. Consumers should be vigilant against fraudulent digital invites masquerading as genuine messages from popular services such as Evite and Paperless Post. These scams are cleverly designed to extract personal information under the guise of a friendly invitation.
The FTC has highlighted that scammers are dispatching unexpected texts and emails that mimic the appearance of legitimate invitation platforms. Often, these messages claim to originate from someone familiar to the recipient, creating an illusion of authenticity. To access party details or RSVP, the recipient is deceitfully prompted to input their email login credentials or a special verification code.
In a consumer alert released this week, the FTC clarified, “That’s not how real invitations work.” This statement underscores the deceptive tactics employed by scammers, emphasizing the need for caution.
Authorities have cautioned that once scammers obtain login information, they can hijack email accounts. This enables them to propagate additional phishing schemes to the victim’s contacts, perpetuating the cycle of deceit.
How the scam works
According to the FTC, the scam usually starts with an unexpected invitation message tied to graduation parties, summer celebrations or other events.
Some fake invitations direct users to a login page asking for an email username and password, while others request a phone number and a one-time verification code.
The FTC said legitimate invitation platforms generally do not require users to hand over passwords or special access codes to open invitations.
If consumers receive an invitation they were not expecting, the agency recommends contacting the supposed host directly before clicking any links.
How to protect yourself
The FTC recommends several ways consumers can protect themselves from phishing scams:
• Keep computer and phone software updated to help defend against security threats.
• Use two-factor authentication on email and other online accounts.
• Avoid clicking suspicious links or entering login credentials into unfamiliar websites.
• Change passwords immediately if you believe your account information has been compromised.
Consumers can forward phishing emails to reportphishing@apwg.org and forward scam text messages to 7726, which spells SPAM. Phishing attempts can also be reported to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.