How to Stop Unwanted Advertisements Received Through File Sharing
Question details
The user is receiving unsolicited advertisements via file sharing or access notifications and wants to know how to stop them and secure their account.
- Product
- Cloud Storage and File Sharing
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Receiving spam or ad notifications from unknown users who are sharing files with the user's account.
- Observed behavior
- Unwanted advertisements are appearing through shared file notifications, raising privacy and account security concerns.
Before taking any action, do not click on any links within the shared files or advertisements, and take clear screenshots of the notifications to help the support team investigate the issue.
Gather Evidence and Contact Support
If you are receiving persistent spam through file sharing, collecting screenshots and contacting your software's official support team is the best way to investigate and block the malicious activity.
Often, spammers use lists of exposed email addresses to indiscriminately share files containing advertisements. Because cloud services automatically notify you when a file is shared, this bypasses standard email spam filters. Official support teams can investigate the sender's account and ban them from the platform.
Capture screenshots of the unwanted advertisements, ensuring the sender's name or email address is visible in the file-sharing notification.
Write down the exact email address or username that is sharing the files with you, as well as the dates and times the files were received.
Navigate to the official support or help center of the application you are using. Submit a request explaining that you are receiving unwanted ads via file sharing and attach your screenshots.
Block the Sender and Report as Spam
Prevent the specific sender from sharing files with you by blocking their account directly within the application.
Adjust File Sharing Privacy Settings
Modify your account settings to restrict who can share files with you or trigger notifications.
Use WPS Office for Secure and Spam-Free File Sharing
WPS Office provides a secure cloud environment where you can strictly control who has access to your files and safely manage documents shared with you, protecting you from unwanted spam and malicious links.
- 1. Download and Open WPS Office: Launch WPS Office and sign in to your secure WPS account.
- 2. Navigate to WPS Cloud: Click on the 'WPS Cloud' tab on the left sidebar to access your cloud storage.
- 3. Check Shared Files: Click on 'Shared with me' to safely review all documents that have been shared with your account.
- 4. Manage Permissions: Right-click any suspicious or unwanted file to instantly remove it from your list and protect your workspace.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do spammers share files with my account?
Spammers often obtain email addresses from public databases or data breaches. They use these addresses to indiscriminately share documents via public cloud services, which triggers an automatic notification to your device or email inbox.
Can my device get infected by simply receiving a shared file notification?
Merely receiving a notification or seeing the file in your 'Shared with me' list usually does not infect your device. However, opening the file, enabling macros, or clicking links inside the document can pose a significant security risk.
How can I stop strangers from sharing files with me on cloud drives?
You can usually adjust your account's privacy and sharing settings to block specific users, report abusive files as spam, or restrict file-sharing notifications so that only approved contacts can notify you.
