You\u2019ve seen them hundreds of times.<\/p>\n
\u201cClick here to prove you\u2019re not a robot.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s one of those things you don\u2019t really think about.<\/p>\n
You tick a box, maybe select a few images, and move on with your day.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why this new scam works.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a growing number of fake CAPTCHA pages designed to trick people into doing something slightly unusual\u2026 but not unusual enough to raise alarm bells in the moment.<\/p>\n
Instead of clicking a box or selecting images, the page asks you to confirm you\u2019re human by sending a text message.<\/p>\n
That might already feel a bit odd, but the way it\u2019s presented makes it seem like part of a normal verification process.<\/p>\n
You tap the button, your phone opens a message that\u2019s already written, and all you need to do is press send.<\/p>\n
Simple.<\/p>\n
Except behind the scenes, that single action can trigger multiple texts to international numbers.<\/p>\n
In some cases, dozens of them.<\/p>\n
Each one adds a small charge to your bill, and because those charges don\u2019t show up immediately, the connection isn\u2019t obvious.<\/p>\n
A few weeks later, the bill arrives\u2026 and by then, you\u2019ve probably forgotten all about the \u201cverification\u201d you completed.<\/p>\n
That delay is what makes this scam particularly effective.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s another layer to it as well.<\/p>\n
Some of these fake CAPTCHA pages don\u2019t appear out of nowhere. You can be redirected to them through compromised websites or advertising networks.<\/p>\n
You click something that looks legitimate, land on a page that feels familiar, and follow the instructions without thinking too deeply about it.<\/p>\n
In some cases, even the browser behaves in a way that nudges you forward, making it harder to simply go back or exit.<\/p>\n
This one doesn\u2019t rely on technical knowledge; it relies on habit.<\/p>\n
Your team is used to seeing CAPTCHAs. They expect and trust them.<\/p>\n
And when something looks routine, people move quickly.<\/p>\n
But remember this: CAPTCHAs should never ask you to send a text message.<\/p>\n
If you ever see that, stop. Close the page and don\u2019t interact with it further.<\/p>\n
And remind your team of this, especially as more of these scams start to appear.<\/p>\n
A lesson in awareness can save a lot of confusion (and unexpected charges) later.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019d like help making sure your team knows what to look out for (and what to avoid), let\u2019s talk. Get in touch.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
You\u2019ve seen them hundreds of times. \u201cClick here to prove you\u2019re not…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":128,"featured_media":4405,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4404","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-richardson-blog"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t