{"id":249,"date":"2025-03-07T15:19:32","date_gmt":"2025-03-07T20:19:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/phish-files\/?p=249"},"modified":"2026-02-16T11:53:43","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T16:53:43","slug":"fake-captcha-scams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/phish-files\/2025\/03\/07\/fake-captcha-scams\/","title":{"rendered":"IT&#8217;S A TRAP! Fake CAPTCHA Scams"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>You\u2019ve probably seen them all over the web\u2014those CAPTCHA challenges asking you to prove <em>you\u2019re not a robot<\/em> by clicking images or checking a box. CAPTCHAs are supposed to keep websites secure, but cybercriminals are using fake ones to trick users into downloading malware.<\/p>\n<p>This rising scam is especially dangerous for college students, who often use shared networks, laptops, and mobile devices that can become prime targets for hackers.<\/p>\n<h2>How the Scam Works<\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>You Land on a Fake Site<\/strong>: It might be a pop-up, a sketchy link, or even a spoofed website that looks legitimate.<\/li>\n<li><strong>A Fake CAPTCHA Appears<\/strong>: The page claims you need to complete the CAPTCHA to proceed, often accompanied by urgent or misleading language.<\/li>\n<li><strong>You\u2019re Asked to Download Something<\/strong>: Instead of solving a CAPTCHA, the site prompts you to download a file or install a browser extension.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Malware Is Installed<\/strong>: By following the prompts, you unintentionally install malware, which can steal your personal information or compromise your device.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>Why College Students Are at Risk<\/h2>\n<p>College students often juggle multiple accounts and devices, making them attractive targets for cybercriminals. These scams can lead to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Compromised Accounts<\/strong>: Stolen login credentials for email, banking, or school platforms.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Data Loss<\/strong>: Malware can corrupt or delete files, including important coursework.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Identity Theft<\/strong>: Personal information can be used for fraud or sold on the dark web.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>How to Protect Yourself<\/h2>\n<p>Stay safe by following these tips:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Verify the Website<\/strong>: Before interacting with a CAPTCHA, check the URL to ensure it\u2019s legitimate. Look for <strong>&#8220;https:\/\/&#8221;<\/strong> and avoid sites with unusual domains.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Never Download Files from CAPTCHAs<\/strong>: A legitimate CAPTCHA will never ask you to download software or extensions.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Be Wary of Pop-Ups<\/strong>: Avoid clicking on pop-ups that claim urgent action is needed. Close them and navigate away.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Use Antivirus Software<\/strong>: Keep your devices secure with up-to-date antivirus tools.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Report Suspicious Activity<\/strong>: If you encounter a fake CAPTCHA or malware attempt, report it to\u00a0the IT Service Desk at <a href=\"tel:9736557971\">(973)655-7971<\/a>\u00a0option 1 or email <a href=\"mailto:itservicedesk@montclair.edu\">itservicedesk@montclair.edu<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>What to Do If You\u2019re Targeted<\/h2>\n<p>If you\u2019ve accidentally downloaded malware:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Disconnect your device from the internet.<\/li>\n<li>Run a full scan with antivirus software.<\/li>\n<li>Change your passwords, starting with your <a href=\"https:\/\/iams-amc.montclair.edu\/page-password-reset-initial\">campus accounts<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Contact the IT Service Desk at <a href=\"tel:9736557971\">(973)655-7971<\/a>\u00a0option 1 or email <a href=\"mailto:itservicedesk@montclair.edu\">itservicedesk@montclair.edu<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>Want to Know More?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">ReliaQuest | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reliaquest.com\/blog\/using-captcha-for-compromise\/\">Using CAPTCHA for Compromise: Hackers Flip the Script<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Proofpoint | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.proofpoint.com\/us\/blog\/threat-insight\/security-brief-clickfix-social-engineering-technique-floods-threat-landscape\">Security Brief: ClickFix Social Engineering Technique Floods Threat Landscape<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">CSO Online | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.csoonline.com\/article\/3829416\/fake-captcha-attacks-are-increasing-say-experts.html\">Fake captcha attacks are increasing, say experts<\/a><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/pulse\/protect-yourself-lowdown-dangerous-google-docs-phishing\"><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You\u2019ve probably seen them all over the web\u2014those CAPTCHA challenges asking you to prove you\u2019re not a robot by clicking images or checking a box. CAPTCHAs are supposed to keep websites secure, but cybercriminals are using fake ones to trick users into downloading malware. This rising scam is especially dangerous for college students, who often [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":349,"featured_media":222,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-249","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/phish-files\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/249","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/phish-files\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/phish-files\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/phish-files\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/349"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/phish-files\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=249"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/phish-files\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/249\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1357,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/phish-files\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/249\/revisions\/1357"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/phish-files\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/222"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/phish-files\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=249"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/phish-files\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=249"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/phish-files\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=249"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}