how do I stop unsolicited hacking and phishing files being shared to my personal Onedrive ?

mark elander 0 Reputation points
2026-01-12T21:00:31.2466667+00:00

I am receiving multiple unsolicited shared files in my Onedrive daily and I cannot get any support to block them and to remove the ones already received. These files all look very suspicious of Phishing / Hacking attempts. The only online help is to "hide" them individually and or report them individually. It appears that the Report system is either overwhelmed or designed to discourage repeat reports because after you report a few the system says " Oops a problem occurred- try again later ". This activity started in early December for me and others have reported the same start time period.

These files are only in Microsoft Onedrive and all of them so far have originated from Microsoft Hotmail email accounts! This problem appears to be a Microsoft vulnerability and will need a Microsoft solution.

How can I reach a human technical representative to get a case number and support please?

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For home | Windows
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  1. AI answer

    2026-01-12T21:01:42.2233333+00:00

    To stop unsolicited hacking and phishing files from being shared to your personal OneDrive, you can take the following steps:

    1. Report the Files: Although you mentioned difficulties with the reporting system, continue to report each suspicious file individually. This is important for Microsoft to take action against these accounts.
    2. Block the Senders: If you are receiving these files from specific email addresses, consider blocking those email addresses in your Outlook or Hotmail account settings. This may help prevent further unsolicited sharing.
    3. Adjust Sharing Settings: Review your OneDrive sharing settings to limit who can share files with you. You can set your sharing preferences to only allow sharing from people in your organization or those you have shared with previously.
    4. Contact Microsoft Support: For more direct assistance, you can reach out to Microsoft Support. You can find contact options through the Microsoft Support website, where you can request help and potentially get a case number for further follow-up.
    5. Stay Informed: Keep an eye on any updates from Microsoft regarding security issues. They may provide additional guidance or solutions for users experiencing similar problems.

    Unfortunately, if the reporting system is overwhelmed, it may take time for Microsoft to address these issues.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. EmilyS726 278.3K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-01-12T21:36:49.28+00:00

    Hello,

    It appears scammers have found a product loophole to share files with users knowing the files would show up on their OneDrive. As of now, there's no way to delete this on the computer. You will see this file in your ONedrive.com when you go online in the "Shared" section, but you can check the box, the right click and report it. You can also hide it.

    However if you download the OneDrive app on your phone, sign in and go to the shared tab, find the file, click on the three dots, you can "remove from the list". That's honestly the farthest you can go as technically allowed.

    The file technically doesn't live in your OneDrive, but lives in the sender's OneDrive. It doesn't take up your OneDrive storage. It is just listed for you to see.

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  3. mark elander 0 Reputation points
    2026-01-12T22:45:44.64+00:00

    Thanks for responding Emily,

    I read about the " remove from list and report concern " and have used those methods. Unfortunately all of these must be done 1 at a time and after you do a number of them the system stops accepting them either from being overwhelmed or because the system is designed to only except a certain amount ( both of these seem really problematic to me ).

    There should not to a vulnerability that allows bad actors to fill people's drive with spam or hacking! This is far worse than spam email .. you can delete those and they are filtered to the spam folder. You can do that in bulk. There are no similar options for this problem. Microsoft needs to accept this as a serious problem and direct resources to rectify the issue as soon as possible! People that ask for help should be given a help case # to follow until it's resolved.

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  4. EmilyS726 278.3K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-01-12T22:51:38.0666667+00:00

    Unfortunately that's that's the best option available as of today. There's no way for me to sugarcoat this rather than being completely honest with you. It is definitely not ideal.

    I am afraid you would have to post feedback, and/or updatevote others, such as this one: https://feedbackportal.microsoft.com/feedback/idea/6cd9fd7c-49db-f011-ad8f-7c1e529694f5

    Microsoft does group similar tickets together when they start working on them, and would provide update in the feedback portal.

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