Fake Followers?

  • dggerhart · Member ·

    I’m getting a steady trickle the past few weeks of what I believe are phony followers. I think they’ve all used @outlook.com email addresses. This is happening across several unique blogs.

    I look in “People/Email-Followers” and don’t see them listed. Does this mean I’m getting follower notifications for events the system removes as “SPAM?”

    Example (my redaction noted with asterisks)

    fou***********(email visible only to moderators and staff) is now following N[****}

    fou***********(email visible only to moderators and staff) just started following you at http://n{************}. They will receive an email every time you publish a post. Congratulations.

    The most recent post I found on this is closed and dates to January this year.

    Plenty Curious…

    The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)

  • vishalmukadam · Member ·

    Hi, @dggerhart

    Sorry for the inconvenience, this is a known issue and the WordPress.com team is working on fixing this as we speak.
    Please see the Staff replies in this thread: https://en.forums.wordpress.com/topic/spammy-follows-from-outlookcom-email-addresses/#post-3092975
    Until this current wave of spam followers is over, you can turn off email notifications by changing your settings here: https://wordpress.com/me/notifications Click the arrow on the right and uncheck the box next to Site follows > Email.

    I am also adding modlook to this thread, so someone from staff can check and fix this issue for you.
    Thanks!

  • vishalmukadam · Member ·

    Also, check the staff reply here:
    https://en.forums.wordpress.com/topic/spammy-follows-from-outlookcom-email-addresses/#post-3092975

  • justjennifer · Member ·

    As mentioned Staff are actively working on this issue and until it is resolved you may wish to unsubscribe from email notifications.


    @vishalmukadam     It is always better to develop your own support style and voice but if you quote someone else’s forum replies please link back to the thread you copied from. Thanks.

    WordPress.com Volunteers

  • dggerhart · Member ·

    Thanks everyone. Appreciate the info, very much!

  • vishalmukadam · Member ·

    @justjennifer Thanks so much!
    Got your point.


    @dggerhart
    You’re welcome!
    Always happy to help you!

  • vishalmukadam · Member ·

    @justjennifer
    The reason I am adding modlook that because the site should be reported to staff so they can put up on the priority list to remove the spam.

    Thanks!

  • aarkangel · Member ·

    There seems to be a new attack under way or in the preparation – in the last few days I have noticed numerous new followers from what are obviously bogus Outlook.com accounts
    eg

    (email visible only to moderators and staff)
    (email visible only to moderators and staff)
    (email visible only to moderators and staff)
    (email visible only to moderators and staff)
    (email visible only to moderators and staff)

    These go back to around 22nd March 2018.

  • lindsaycaron82 · Member ·

    Hi there. I am having the same issue on both of my sites. Several new spam email followings daily. I’ve updated my preferences not to receive email about this for the time being, but also wanted to alert Word Press staff to please try to fix my accounts.

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