Spanish police are sounding the alarm over fake ‘CAPTCHA’ checks online.
If you browse the internet regularly, then you’ve definitely encountered them before.
Typically, a message will appear on your screen asking you to tick a box next to the words ‘I am not a robot’.
Alternatively, they can show you a series of letters and numbers, which they ask you to type out.
While the majority of the time they are legitimate ways to check you are human, sometimes they are fake.
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In a video shared by the Policia Nacional, an officer explains: ‘The CAPTCHA messages do no always guarantee your security.
‘This happens when you come across a fake CAPTCHA on suspicious websites or you click on a bad link. These messages appear real, but they are not.’
She adds: ‘When you click the button, without realising it, the site copies malicious code…
‘In other cases, a link appears informing you that, to complete the verification, you must follow instructions that will install malware on your device.’
The officer explains that this malware is very dangerous, adding that ‘it can steal your password and banking information’ through a pirated programme, which it asks the user to download once they solve the CAPTCHA.
So how can one tell the difference between a genuine CAPTCHA and fake one?
The officer goes on: ‘Be wary of websites where a CAPTCHA appears for no reason or on sites where they don’t normally appear…
‘And if they ask you to copy and paste a code, all your alarms should go off, you’re looking at a fake CAPTCHA.’
