Why am I suddenly getting so many spam emails on outlook.com from an apparent AI bot?

I had MS admit that there is a global issue Levi, text below.

Dean, I want to inform you that it is a global issue which has badly affected our users, and we have already escalated the issue to tier-2 team and our engg. are already working in this issue.

But I also want to inform you that it was recently resolved, but again we are getting this issue, so I can say that we are very close to resolve the issue, but right now we have a solution which has resolved many cases, let me help you on that.

To resolve the issue, we need to reset the junk filters so that we can trigger the server, so that then server will reset the junk filter setting and then your issue will be resolved.

Followed your instructions, hopefully this will put an end to this B.S., thank you!

Hi Cory,

I'm not sure if you're using Outlook in Windows or you're visiting Outlook live online,

I use Outlook online,

online, under-settings>email>junk email, scroll down that page to the bottom and check the box for: Filters "Block attachments, pictures and links for anyone not in my Safe senders and domains list"

a save dialogue box should appear that you click to save this new setting,

I imagine there is a similar option in Outlook for Windows but I don't have it installed so I can't walk you through it,

for Outlook live online this link should take you right there:
https://outlook.live.com/mail/0/options/mail/junkEmail

with attachments, pictures and links blocked the sender of the spam email won't know you've opened and viewed it, you can add the sender to your blocked senders and domains list and report it for phishing without it triggering further spam emails,

try this one thing and see if the amount of spam you receive starts to slow down.

any legitimate email you receive you can click on "I trust content from xyz" at the top edge of the email and it will be added to your Safe senders and domains list.

I too have been receiving a lot of unwanted emails and i do mean a lot! I have reported them as spam and have even tried blocking them but it seems the more i do that, the more I get. How do I get this nightmare to stop it is getting really aggravating. Please advice or do something on your end to stop this.

r,

people don't seem to understand what pixel tracking is:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-56071437

I use Mozilla Thunderbird as an email client on my PC,

it blocks remote content for my privacy and if I click on the options it displays the source url for each item of remote content it has blocked in an email,

I'm given the option to allow remote content from that source or continue to deny it,

even Microsoft uses tracking pixels in their emails, you're likely receiving a notification that I've posted this reply, in that email the tracking pixel is the 4 different coloured squares arranged in a square 'logo' that Microsoft uses,

when I block all content not in my safe senders and domains list I deny the loading of these tracking pixels, if the tracking pixel isn't retrieved from the senders server so that it can be displayed as part of the email the sender is unaware that I've opened the email,

because Microsoft has embraced pixel tracking technology and woven it into all of it's Office and email products it's created a huge problem for them,

spammers can use pixel tracking to see which of the emails they send are opened and hence identify 'active' email addresses, my guess is that they then focus on these addresses and also share them amongst other spammers,

the spammers are using exactly the same methodology to track their victims that Microsoft and the corporate community use to track their potential customers,

I've simply said: "enough is enough" and block all attachments, images and links not in my Safe senders and domains list,

this gives me a cloak of invisibility, I can open suspect emails, add the sender to my block list, report it as phishing to Microsoft and then delete it, all without the sender being aware I've even received it,

I've noticed that a week or so ago you couldn't select the option to: Settings>General>Privacy & Data>External Images.... option "Always use the Outlook service to load images"

I tried setting it to that option repeatedly but a save dialogue box would never appear to allow me to comfirm that setting,

now it seems to have miraculously set itself,

Microsoft seems to be forcing all remote content to be served via their Outlook servers so that they can try and monitor the pixel tracking content within emails,

so Microsoft do seem to be reacting to the problem, but secretively, they never seem to admit to any of their mistakes,