QBT_REJECTED Files / Application fails to load torrents

[DataScientist6]

Problem:
qBittorrent application fails to load torrents (*.torrent) that are placed in the qBittorrent 'Monitored Folder'. After a few seconds, the *.torrent files get turned into '*.qbt_rejected' files.

Situation:
About a month ago after a reboot or restart of qBittorrent, the application no longer automatically loads torrent files placed in the Monitored Folder. Previously, placing a .torrent file in the Monitored Folder would make it get loaded by the qBittorrent app and the torrent would start to download. Now nothing happens and then after a short period of time, the .torrent file is replaced with a 'QBT_REJECTED' file in the Monitored Folder.

Any ideas? Thx