29/09/2026
The FTC is getting reports about a new phishing scam that looks a lot like the CAPTCHA requests you might be used to seeing. Real CAPTCHAs give you image- or text-based tasks to prove you’re not a robot — something like typing letters and numbers exactly as they appear, or matching pictures of things like fire hydrants or traffic lights.
Real CAPTCHAs won’t ask you to run commands on your device. If you notice something downloading to your device after responding to a CAPTCHA, act quickly to remove the malware and protect yourself:
• Disconnect from the internet. This stops scammers from accessing your online shopping or banking accounts.
• Run a security scan to remove the malware. Keep your software and apps up to date to catch viruses.
• Change your passwords and enable two-factor authentication (using a different device) in case the malware already gave a hacker access to your accounts.
The FTC is getting reports about a new phishing scam that looks a lot like the CAPTCHA requests you might be used to seeing. Real CAPTCHAs give you image- or text-based tasks to prove you’re not a robot — something like typing letters and numbers exactly as they appear, or matching pictures of t...