Loot Filter fails to load, new folders being created

Note: I've searched the web for an answer and have not yet found one, either on GGG forums or on other sites such as reddit. Here's my last attempt to resolve the loot filter issue.

Every time I start a game, it creates a new folder that has weird names (looks like Chinese characters) and creates a new "my games/ path of exile/" location.

I've played POE for a long time with no loot filter issues.
I also have followed loot filters on my account via GGG website. Those don't work either. GGG replies with the same resolution text: follow someone's loot filter (then proceeds to provide step by step directions to follow someone's loot filter) - this doesn't fix this issue.

If you refresh the loot filter in-game, this is the response:

Error trying to download item filter: NeverSink-4verystr-softcore
Failed to open filter file: "[]/My Games/Path of Exile/OnlineFilters/GmXoTD"

Then it repeats this error:

Failed to open filter file: "[]/My Games/Path of Exile/OnlineFilters/GmXoTD"

(Note: the GmXoTD changes every time you log in and out of the game).

In a span of 10minutes, in "Programs/steamapps/common/Path of Exile" about 20 folders have been created with names containing Chinese like characters.

This is my last attempt to resolve this issue because I love doing Blight maps - without loot filters, the game crashes and it's no longer worth playing Blight maps...

just remove the online filter sharing stuff, download the filters manually and unzip it's content to the respective location in your documents/pathofexile folder.