HARTFORD, Conn. (WFSB) – There’s a new scam exploiting a common security tool online. Scammers are using fake CAPTCHA prompts to try and download malware on your computer.
When browsing online, you’ve probably come across those tests to prove you are a human and not a robot. Sometimes it’s simply checking a box or clicking on every image that has a dog.
“These tests were really designed to help prevent bot-related fraud on the internet, and they’re designed to make you feel safe, right?” said Kaitlyn Krasselt, spokesperson for Connecticut’s Department of Consumer Protection. “That is kind of the point of them: if you’re identifying that I’m a human accessing the site—whether it’s your bank account, a ticketing site, or something like that—it’s designed to make you feel like this website has an extra level of security.”
Krasselt said scammers are exploiting that sense of security by creating fake CAPTCHA tests. They look like legitimate prompts, but instead they’re trying to trick you.
“So we’re seeing a lot of these that are saying to copy and paste something into another window on your site or on your computer, or to take you outside of that window, and that then downloads malware onto your device, compromising your personal information,” Krasselt said.
Following the instructions and accidentally hitting that copy and paste could allow the scammer access to things like your password manager or other personal information on your computer.
Krasselt said the red flags to look out for are CAPTCHA prompts showing up on a site you wouldn’t expect and if the prompt is asking you to do something out of the ordinary or leave that window.
If you think you may have accidentally fallen victim, Krasselt suggests changing your passwords and contacting your bank right away.
“You should contact your bank and let them know that,” Krasselt said. “They have different things that they can put in place to monitor your bank account for unusual activity.”
You can also report the scam to the Department of Consumer Protection as well as to the FTC.
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