Captcha-verification.systems pop-ups (spam)

What is Captcha-verification.systems pop-ups?

Captcha-verification.systems can start showing unwanted pop-ups on a regular basis

There are plenty of rogue websites all over the internet, and most people had come across at least some of them while browsing the web on Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, MS Edge, or any other browser. You can encounter Captcha-verification.systems website after being redirected from another malicious site or after clicking on a suspicious link. As soon as you enter, you will be presented with a seemingly innocent message – this is used to trick you into allowing the website to send you notifications.

Captcha-verification.systems pop-up is a phenomenon that some users have an unpleasant time with. The notifications might appear at the bottom-right of the screen and include various content – usually links to unknown and untrustworthy websites. If you receive such notifications, you should never click on the promoted links and explore the contents of the destination websites.

Browser redirects can be caused by several things, including a mouse click on an (invisible) link, or your browser might reroute you to another website automatically. Destination websites might be anything – from innocent promotions of legitimate companies to full-blown malicious scripts that might install malware automatically under certain circumstances.

Redirects are very common and might occur due to an error or due to the fact that visitors were unaware that they would be redirected. Due to this, you should always be very careful while browsing the web – avoiding torrents, gambling, porn, and similar high-risk websites can increase your cybersecurity level by a mile.

Unfortunately, unforeseen browser redirects might also be caused by adware, which might have been installed on the user's device without permission. This is because these potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) are commonly spread via software bundles – distributors commonly include several optional components within a single installer and deliberately hide them to make users install something they otherwise would not.

Therefore, if you have spotted Captcha-verification.systems redirects, ads, or pop-ups, there are two things you should take care of:

• Whether or not your machine has adware installed;
• Stop the notifications from being shown via your browser.

Below you will find all the explanations on what all of these components are and how to turn off the unwanted notifications, ads, and other disturbances.

Never click on links shown in the pop-ups

Where are the Captcha-verification.systems pop-ups coming from?

It is important to note that push notifications are a feature that can be found in any modern web browser. First introduced in 2012, it was meant to be used as a tool to deliver information to users once subscribed. Malicious actors soon realized the feature could be exploited to deliver advertisements and even links to users. All they have to do is use social engineering^[1] to make them click the “Allow” button.

Since visitors do not realize they have been tricked, they are often baffled about the intrusive pop-ups that show up on their screens. This is also why many believe that their browsers are infected with a virus (this possibility remains). However, in order to remove Captcha-verification.systems pop-ups, all you have to do is to deny access to this particular URL.

Google Chrome

• Open Google Chrome browser and go to Menu > Settings.
• Scroll down and click on Advanced.
• Locate Privacy and security section and pick Site Settings > Notifications.
• Look at the Allow section and look for a suspicious URL.
• Click the three vertical dots next to it and pick Block. This should remove unwanted notifications from Google Chrome.

MS Edge

• Open Microsoft Edge, and go to Settings.
• Select Site permissions.
• Go to Notifications on the right.
• Under Allow, you will find the unwanted entry.
• Click on More actions and select Block.

Mozilla Firefox

• Open Mozilla Firefox and go to Menu > Options.
• Click on Privacy & Security section.
• Under Permissions, you should be able to see Notifications. Click Settings button next to it.
• In the Settings – Notification Permissions window, click on the drop-down menu by the URL in question.
• Select Block and then click on Save Changes. This should remove unwanted notifications from Mozilla Firefox.

Once you have executed these steps, you should no longer see the pop-ups on your screen. Due to the nature of the scam, we strongly recommend you proceed with the steps below and check your system further.

The adware problem and how to take care of it

As previously mentioned, adware could be the reason why your browser is bringing you to scam and other less secure websites. While adware is not considered to be a type of malware but rather a potentially unwanted program, it does not mean that it is not a security concern.

There has been plenty of widespread adware that caused serious security issues to users. One such example is Lenovo's Superfish scandal when thousands of laptops were shipped with the software pre-installed. As it turned out, the adware was capable of intercepting the secure HTTPS^[2] connections and render devices vulnerable to cyberattacks. As a result, the tech giant had to pay out to potential victims and a fine to FTC.^[3]

It is impossible to find out whether or not you have your device infected without checking it properly. Adware's main tool is the browser, so it is important to make sure that no suspicious browser extensions are installed on them. Sometimes, even previously trustworthy extensions might go rogue and start delivering ads, so it is best to use anti-malware to check the system – we recommend using SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner. Alternatively, you can try to look for installed programs yourself – check the guide below.

Additionally, you should definitely clean your web browsers – you can do that quickly and efficiently with the help of FortectIntego repair and maintenance utility. Otherwise, proceed with the below steps for Chrome (you will find the rest of the browsers below):

Clear cache and web data from Chrome

1. Click on Menu and pick Settings.
2. Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
3. Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
4. Click Clear data.

Change your homepage:

1. Click menu and choose Settings.
2. Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
3. Click on Open a specific or set of pages and click on three dots to find the Remove option.

Reset Google Chrome:

If the previous methods did not help you, reset Google Chrome to eliminate all the unwanted components:

1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
2. In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
3. Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
4. Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
5. Confirm with Reset settings.

If you had clicked on the promoted links when the notifications were showed to you, your device might be infected with malware. Ensure you perform a full system scan and get rid of everything found.

You may remove virus damage with a help of FortectIntego. SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner and Malwarebytes are recommended to detect potentially unwanted programs and viruses with all their files and registry entries that are related to them.