The FTC Is Warning About Fake Party Invitation Scams Arriving by Email and Text
Criminals are sending convincing fake event invitations to steal personal information. Here is what the scam looks like and how to avoid it.
Key points
- The Federal Trade Commission issued a warning in 2025 about a wave of fake party and event invitation scams sent by email and text message.
- The scam is a form of phishing, where criminals send fake messages designed to trick people into handing over personal details such as passwords or payment information.
- Victims are lured by what looks like a genuine RSVP request for a party, wedding, or social event.
- The FTC advises people to verify any unexpected invitation directly with the supposed sender before clicking anything.
The Federal Trade Commission, the US government agency that protects consumers from fraud, is raising the alarm about a new scam that hides behind something almost everyone receives: a party invitation.
Criminals are sending fake invitations by email and text. The messages look like real RSVPs from friends, family members, or colleagues. They are not. Clicking the link inside, or filling out any form the link leads to, can hand your personal information straight to whoever sent it.
This is phishing. Phishing means sending a fake message that impersonates someone trustworthy in order to trick you into giving up private information like your name, address, date of birth, or payment details.
What makes this particular scam awkward to spot is the social packaging. A message about an upcoming birthday party or wedding does not immediately set off alarm bells the way a message about a suspicious bank transfer might. That is the point.
NBC News Tech, which first flagged the FTC's warning for a broad audience, noted the scam is circulating across both email inboxes and SMS text messages, meaning no single platform is safe.
How can you tell a real invitation from a fake one?
The simplest test is to go around the message entirely. If you get an unexpected invitation and you are not sure it is real, contact the supposed host directly by phone or through a separate message you start yourself. Do not reply to the suspicious message and do not use any contact details inside it.
A few other signs worth watching for: the message creates urgency, asking you to RSVP immediately or by a very short deadline. The link inside does not match the name of a real event platform or a person you recognise. The message arrives from an email address or phone number you do not have saved.
If you did click a link and entered any information, change the relevant passwords straight away. If you entered payment card details, call your bank.
For everyone else, the practical step is simple: treat any unexpected invitation the same way you would treat an unexpected bill. Pause before clicking anything, and check the source through a channel you already trust.
