Skype users suddenly getting spammed by crypto scammers, Microsoft looking into it

Update 07/08/24: A Microsoft employee from the Skype team has shared that they are working on a fix.

We are aware that some Skype users are experiencing persistent “ghost” notifications from unwanted groups, even after these groups have been blocked. We understand that this issue can be frustrating, and we want to assure you that we are actively working to resolve it.

Meanwhile, there is an official workaround that users can try.

Original article follows:

Skype users are facing a frustrating barrage of spam notifications from cryptocurrency scam groups. The notifications, as per the reports, appear even after users block the offending groups.

The issue began approximately a week ago and has persisted despite Microsoft’s acknowledgment of the problem. Users report receiving up to 100 notifications per minute, often with no way to remove the offending groups from their chat lists. Despite blocking and reporting the groups, the ghost notifications continue to pop up.

One user recounted how she blocked a group but still receives messages from it every minute. Another shared the plight of his Mac Mini, which seems to have developed a phantom penchant for crypto chatter, sounding off notifications despite the user’s best efforts to suppress them.

The plot thickens as users across various devices, from iPhones to Androids and Windows PCs, report similar ghostly encounters. One user, trying to assist his mother remotely, found her device besieged by bitcoin scam messages. Despite blocking the account and tweaking settings, the spectral notifications persist, leaving them both stumped.

Many have attempted to exorcise these digital phantoms by reinstalling Skype or moving to new devices, but to no avail. The ghostly messages seem to transcend local installations, indicating a more sinister server-side issue. This means users have limited options for resolving the issue themselves. Some have resorted to disabling all Skype notifications, but this eliminates the ability to receive legitimate messages as well.

The timing of the issue isn’t great considering Microsoft’s recent efforts to get rid of ads in Skype. But the good thing is that Microsoft has already acknowledged the issue and is actively investigating a solution. In the meantime, affected Skype users will have to endure the constant barrage of unwanted messages.

Featured image: Microsoft