How to avoid getting scammed by fake "Join Google Meet" emails

What kind of email is "Join Google Meet"?

Our examination of the "Join Google Meet" email revealed that it is fake. This message is presented as an invitation to an online meeting. The spam mail aims to deceive recipients into disclosing their email account log-in credentials to a phishing website. It must be stressed that this mail is not associated with any legitimate services or entities.

"Join Google Meet" email scam overview

The spam email with the subject "[recipient's_email_address] Invitation toEmergency Budget meeting" (may vary) is presented as a Google Meet invite. The message lists details of the supposed online meeting. It must be reiterated that this meeting invite is fake and not associated with Google Meet or its developer – Google LLC.

The phishing website endorsed by this spam campaign imitates the recipient's email account sign-in page. Attempts to sign in through this webpage expose the account to scammers.

Stolen emails can be variously abused; cyber criminals may even attempt to access linked accounts, platforms, and services (e.g., social networking, file transferring, project collaboration, entertainment, e-commerce, money transferring, online banking, etc.).

Work account may be sought due to containing sensitive business-related data or for a potential avenue to infect the corporate network with malware (e.g., trojans, ransomware, etc.). Scammers can steal the account owner's identity and ask for loans or donations, endorse scams, and spread malware by sharing malicious links or files. Finance-related accounts can be used to make fraudulent transactions or online purchases.

To summarize, by trusting an email like "Join Google Meet" – users can experience system infections, serious privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.

If you have already disclosed your log-in credentials – immediately change the passwords of all potentially exposed accounts and contact their official support.

Phishing spam campaign examples

We have investigated numerous spam campaigns; "Email Verification Is Compulsory", "Mandatory System Upgrade", and "New Connection From An Unknown User" are merely a few of our newest articles on phishing emails.

Predominantly targeted data includes: log-in credentials, personally identifiable details, and finance-related information. Various scams are promoted through spam mail, and it is used to distribute all kinds of malware.

While the commonly held belief that these emails are riddled with grammatical/spelling mistakes is not untrue, it is not always the case. This mail can be competently put together and convincingly disguised as messages from legitimate entities (e.g., service providers, companies, institutions, authorities, etc.).

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Spam campaigns proliferate malware by distributing malicious files as attachments or download links. These files come in different formats, e.g., archives (ZIP, RAR, etc.), executables (.exe, .run, etc.), documents (Microsoft Office, Microsoft OneNote, PDF, etc.), JavaScript, and so on.

Once a virulent file is opened – the infection chain is triggered. However, some formats need additional actions to initiate malware infiltration processes. For example, Microsoft Office files require users to enable macro commands (i.e., editing/content), while OneNote documents need them to click embedded links or files.

How to avoid installation of malware?

We highly recommend approaching incoming emails and other messages with care. Attachments or links found in dubious/irrelevant communications must not be opened, as they can be harmful or infectious.

It must be mentioned that malware is not spread exclusively via spam mail. Therefore, we advise vigilance when browsing since the Internet is full of deceptive and dangerous content.

Additionally, all downloads must be made from official and verified channels. Software must be activated and updated using functions/tools provided by legitimate developers, as illegal program activation tools ("cracks") and third-party updates may contain malware.

We must emphasize the importance of having a reputable antivirus installed and kept updated. Security software must be used to perform regular system scans and to remove threats/issues. If you've already opened malicious attachments, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate infiltrated malware.

Text presented in the "Join Google Meet" spam email letter:

Subject: ******** Invitation toEmergency Budget meeting

Join with Google Meet

Meeting link
meet.google.com/cwm-hcqj-ocs

When
TUESDAY Oct 8, 2025 ⋅ 11:15am – 12pm (Eastern Time - New York)

Guests

Md@********
Terrence Keeling - organizer

View all guest info

Reply for********

Yes
No
Maybe
More options

for********

Screenshot of the phishing website promoted by the "Join Google Meet" spam campaign:

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Quick menu:

• What is "Join Google Meet" phishing email?
• Types of malicious emails.
• How to spot a malicious email?
• What to do if you fell for an email scam?

Types of malicious emails:

Phishing Emails

Most commonly, cybercriminals use deceptive emails to trick Internet users into giving away their sensitive private information, for example, login information for various online services, email accounts, or online banking information.

Such attacks are called phishing. In a phishing attack, cybercriminals usually send an email message with some popular service logo (for example, Microsoft, DHL, Amazon, Netflix), create urgency (wrong shipping address, expired password, etc.), and place a link which they hope their potential victims will click on.

After clicking the link presented in such email message, victims are redirected to a fake website that looks identical or extremely similar to the original one. Victims are then asked to enter their password, credit card details, or some other information that gets stolen by cybercriminals.

Emails with Malicious Attachments

Another popular attack vector is email spam with malicious attachments that infect users' computers with malware. Malicious attachments usually carry trojans that are capable of stealing passwords, banking information, and other sensitive information.

In such attacks, cybercriminals' main goal is to trick their potential victims into opening an infected email attachment. To achieve this goal, email messages usually talk about recently received invoices, faxes, or voice messages.

If a potential victim falls for the lure and opens the attachment, their computers get infected, and cybercriminals can collect a lot of sensitive information.

While it's a more complicated method to steal personal information (spam filters and antivirus programs usually detect such attempts), if successful, cybercriminals can get a much wider array of data and can collect information for a long period of time.

Sextortion Emails

This is a type of phishing. In this case, users receive an email claiming that a cybercriminal could access the webcam of the potential victim and has a video recording of one's masturbation.

To get rid of the video, victims are asked to pay a ransom (usually using Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency). Nevertheless, all of these claims are false - users who receive such emails should ignore and delete them.

How to spot a malicious email?

While cyber criminals try to make their lure emails look trustworthy, here are some things that you should look for when trying to spot a phishing email:

• Check the sender's ("from") email address: Hover your mouse over the "from" address and check if it's legitimate. For example, if you received an email from Microsoft, be sure to check if the email address is @microsoft.com and not something suspicious like @m1crosoft.com, @microsfot.com, @account-security-noreply.com, etc.
• Check for generic greetings: If the greeting in the email is "Dear user", "Dear @youremail.com", "Dear valued customer", this should raise suspiciousness. Most commonly, companies call you by your name. Lack of this information could signal a phishing attempt.
• Check the links in the email: Hover your mouse over the link presented in the email, if the link that appears seems suspicious, don't click it. For example, if you received an email from Microsoft and the link in the email shows that it will go to firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0... you shouldn't trust it. It's best not to click any links in the emails but to visit the company website that sent you the email in the first place.
• Don't blindly trust email attachments: Most commonly, legitimate companies will ask you to log in to their website and to view any documents there; if you received an email with an attachment, it's a good idea to scan it with an antivirus application. Infected email attachments are a common attack vector used by cybercriminals.

To minimise the risk of opening phishing and malicious emails we recommend using Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows. 

Example of a spam email:

What to do if you fell for an email scam?

• If you clicked on a link in a phishing email and entered your password - be sure to change your password as soon as possible. Usually, cybercriminals collect stolen credentials and then sell them to other groups that use them for malicious purposes. If you change your password in a timely manner, there's a chance that criminals won't have enough time to do any damage.
• If you entered your credit card information - contact your bank as soon as possible and explain the situation. There's a good chance that you will need to cancel your compromised credit card and get a new one.
• If you see any signs of identity theft - you should immediately contact the Federal Trade Commission. This institution will collect information about your situation and create a personal recovery plan.
• If you opened a malicious attachment - your computer is probably infected, you should scan it with a reputable antivirus application. For this purpose, we recommend using  Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows.
• Help other Internet users - report phishing emails to Anti-Phishing Working Group, FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, National Fraud Information Center and U.S. Department of Justice.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why did I receive this email?

Spam emails are not personal, even if they include details relevant to the recipients. These messages are sent out in large-scale operations – therefore, thousands of users receive identical or incredibly similar emails.

I have provided my personal information when tricked by this spam email, what should I do?

If you have disclosed your log-in credentials – change the passwords of all potentially compromised accounts and inform their official support without delay. However, if you've provided other private data (e.g., ID card details, credit/debit card numbers, etc.) – immediately contact the appropriate authorities.

I have read a spam email but didn't open the attachment, is my computer infected?

No, reading an email does not pose an infection threat. Systems are compromised when malicious attachments or links are opened/clicked.

I have downloaded and opened a file attached to a spam email, is my computer infected?

If the opened file was an executable (.exe, .run, etc.) – most likely, yes – the device was infected. However, you might have avoided this if it was a document (.doc, .xls, .pdf, .one, etc.). These formats may need additional interaction (e.g., enabling macros, clicking embedded files/links, etc.) to jumpstart malware infiltration processes.

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?

Yes, Combo Cleaner is capable of detecting and removing nearly all known malware infections. It must be stressed that performing a complete system scan is essential since sophisticated malicious software typically hides deep within systems.