Description

A widespread phishing campaign is targeting businesses by abusing fake meeting invitations that appear to originate from trusted collaboration platforms such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet. Cybercriminals craft convincing email notifications that closely resemble genuine corporate meeting alerts. These messages urge recipients to join urgent discussions or confirm invitations through embedded links. The links typically redirect users to lookalike domains designed to imitate official services, making it difficult for employees to immediately spot the deception. Once a target clicks the malicious link, they are taken to a counterfeit meeting page that mirrors the legitimate interface of the respective platform. These fraudulent pages often include fabricated participant lists and simulated live meeting elements to create authenticity and urgency. Victims are led to believe colleagues are already waiting, increasing pressure to act quickly. According to findings from Netskope Threat Labs, these interactive decoys are deliberately designed to reduce suspicion and accelerate user action without proper verification. During the fake meeting process, users are notified that their conferencing application requires an urgent update. A prompt encourages them to download a so-called “critical patch” to proceed. In reality, the file installs legitimate remote monitoring and management (RMM) software such as Datto RMM, LogMeIn, or ScreenConnect. Because these tools are digitally signed and widely used in enterprises, they often bypass traditional antivirus and endpoint defenses. After installation, attackers gain persistent remote access to compromised systems. This access enables data theft, lateral movement across networks, and even deployment of ransomware. By leveraging trusted software and exploiting workplace urgency, threat actors reduce detection risks. Security teams are advised to strictly monitor RMM tool usage, limit administrative permissions, validate update sources, and educate employees to recognize suspicious meeting invitations and fake update prompts.