Captchasee.live: what it is and how to remove it
Captchasee.live is a fake site created by crooks that use social engineering methods to trick people into subscribing to push notifications. People are asked to press the "Allow" button to confirm that they are not robots.
Facts checked October 7, 2026. Removal steps tested on Windows 11 (26H2) and checked against Microsoft's and the browser makers' current documentation. Sections marked as our earlier report are the original text: they describe the threat as it was then and have not been reviewed since. The 2026 status, the removal steps and the questions are current.
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Captchasee.live: summary
| Distribution | Shady websites; deceptive ads; freeware installations |
|---|---|
| NAME | Captchasee.live |
| TYPE | Push notification spam; adware |
| SYMPTOMS | Pop-up ads start appearing in the corner of the screen sometimes even when the browser is closed |
| DANGERS | The pop-ups can expose people to inappropriate content like adult, gambling sites, and even scams |
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
| Removal | Scan the PC with security software to find and remove the malware and anything installed with it. Fortect scans Windows for malware and repairs the system files and settings it damaged. Remove it nowTo use the full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Fortect. The scan is free. |
Show 9 more facts
| Damage | Not recorded in the old report |
|---|---|
| Name | Captchasee.live |
| Type | Fake CAPTCHA page |
| Symptoms | A fake CAPTCHA asking to press Win+R |
| Evidence | 4 write-ups by security sites; details still limited |
| Imitates | A human-verification check |
| Domains | captchasee[.]live |
| First seen | 3 November 2022 |
| Facts checked | 7 October 2026 |
Is the Captchasee.live check real?
- Address:
captchasee[.]live
From our report of Nov 2022 · not reviewed since
More from our earlier report on Captchasee.live
- To eliminate push notifications go to your browser settings
What the Captchasee.live scammers want
From our report of Nov 2022 · not reviewed since
Captchasee.live is a bogus website created by crooks to generate passive income from pop-ups
Captchasee.live is a fake site created by crooks that use social engineering methods to trick people into subscribing to push notifications.
People are asked to press the "Allow" button to confirm that they are not robots. For many, this can remind them of a captcha verification.
However, legitimate human verification steps do not ask to click "Allow" on browser prompts. There is no other content to explore on this site besides the deceptive message. After performing the action, people start getting spammed with annoying pop-up ads that can appear even when the browser is closed.
Usually, such sites are encountered after browsing through other shady sites. For example, pages that engage in illegal activities are full of deceptive ads and sneaky redirects. Do not click on random links and ads even if they seem to be promoting legitimate products and services.
From our report of Nov 2022 · not reviewed since
Adware infections
In some cases, pages, like Captchasee.live, can show up without any user input automatically.
This can happen if you are infected by adware. It is advertising-supported software that can cause an increased amount of commercial content, like pop-ups, banners, and redirects.
Usually, adware is spread through freeware distribution platforms. They include additional programs in the installers and do not disclose it clearly. You should always choose the "Custom" or "Advanced" installation methods, read the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. The most important step is to check the file list and untick the boxes next to any unrelated applications.
From our report of Nov 2022 · not reviewed since
Disable the notifications
If you have had enough of annoying ads, you can disable Captchasee.live permissions to show pop-ups by going to your browser settings.
Keep in mind that this might not work if you have an adware infection. After successful removal, you need to take care of your browsers separately.
Google Chrome (desktop):
Google Chrome (Android):
MS Edge (Chromium):
- Open Google Chrome browser and go to Menu > Settings.
- Locate the 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.
- Open Google Chrome and tap on Settings (three vertical dots).
- Select Notifications.
- Locate the unwanted URL and toggle the button to the left (Off setting).
- 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.
- Click on Safari > Preferences...
- Go to Websites tab and, under General, select Notifications.
- Select the web address in question, click the drop-down menu and select Deny.
- Open Microsoft Edge, and click the Settings and more button (three horizontal dots) at the top-right of the window.
- Select Settings and then go to Advanced.
- Under Website permissions, pick Manage permissions and select the URL in question.
- Toggle the switch to the left to turn notifications off on Microsoft 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.
From our report of Nov 2022 · not reviewed since
Clear your browsers
With the help of cookies, shady websites you visit can collect data about your browsing activities.
This includes your IP address, geolocation, links you click on, and things you purchase online. This information can later be sold to advertising networks or other third parties for profit.
You should clear your browsers from cookies and cache regularly, to prevent that from happening. Using a maintenance tool like makes it easy. This powerful software can also fix various system errors, corrupted files, and registry issues, which is especially helpful after a virus infection.
From our report of Nov 2022 · not reviewed since
The dangers of pop-up spam
Crooks may use rogue advertising networks that place ads leading to dangerous websites.
As a result, people can end up on scam pages that try to lure out personal information, trick them into downloading PUPs (potentially unwanted programs), and even malware.
Some people report seeing ads promoting adult sites, fake antivirus deals, software offers, giveaways, surveys, etc. If you receive such spam, it is best not to interact with it. You should disable the ads as soon as possible especially if there are other people using the affected machine.
What to do if you ran the Captchasee.live command
Whether you ran the command decides everything else, so the first step checks that.
Step 1: Check whether the pasted command ran
The fake check asked you to press Windows + R, paste and press Enter. Open the same box and look at its drop-down history: a
powershell,mshtaor curl line you did not type yourself is the command Captchasee.live gave.Once run, it fetches malware within seconds, so take the PC offline and follow all the remaining steps. If the history is empty or harmless, nothing was started on the Windows 11 or Windows 10 PC.
Full procedure with screenshots: Run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan
Step 2: Scan the PC, then run the offline scan
A scan finds the parts of Captchasee.live that the manual steps cannot see. In Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options, start a Full scan and quarantine what it reports.
Follow it with Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) > Scan now, which restarts the PC and checks the disk while Windows and the malware are not running.
It takes about 15 minutes and works the same in Windows 11 and Windows 10. If either scan finds something, run the full scan again after removal until it comes back clean.
Windows 11: Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options. Full procedure with screenshots: Run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan
Step 3: Change passwords from another device and sign out other sessions
Captchasee.live can copy saved passwords, cookies and session tokens and send them out in seconds, so cleaning the PC does not undo the theft.
Change your passwords on a device that was never infected, starting with the e-mail account, since every other reset goes through it. On each account, end all other sessions and check the recovery e-mail, phone number and forwarding rules.
Then turn on two-step verification. Sign in on the Windows 11 or Windows 10 PC again only after the offline scan is clean.
Full procedure with screenshots: Turn on two-step verification / secure a hacked account
Step 4: Delete scheduled tasks that bring it back
Programs like Captchasee.live add a scheduled task so they return after an uninstall or reopen a page at every sign-in. Start Task Scheduler, open Task Scheduler Library and sort by Last Run Time to see what ran recently.
On the Actions tab, a program in a user folder, a script or a web address is a warning sign; right-click such a task and choose Delete.
Tasks with names copying Google, Edge or Windows updaters but pointing to an odd folder are typical. The tool looks the same in Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Windows 11: Task Scheduler Library, the task selected, the Actions tab shows the file it runs. Full procedure with screenshots: Remove what malware leaves behind in Windows
Stream videos without limitations, no matter where you are
There are multiple parties that could find out almost anything about you by checking your online activity.
While this is highly unlikely, advertisers and tech companies are constantly tracking you online. The first step to privacy should be a secure browser that focuses on tracker reduction to a minimum.
Even if you employ a secure browser, you will not be able to access websites that are restricted due to local government laws or other reasons. In other words, you may not be able to stream Disney+ or US-based Netflix in some countries. To bypass these restrictions, you can employ a powerful VPN, which provides dedicated servers for torrenting and streaming, not slowing you down in the process.
Data backups are important - recover your lost files
Ransomware is one of the biggest threats to personal data.
Once it is executed on a machine, it launches a sophisticated encryption algorithm that locks all your files, although it does not destroy them. The most common misconception is that anti-malware software can return files to their previous states. This is not true, however, and data remains locked after the malicious payload is deleted.
While regular data backups are the only secure method to recover your files after a ransomware attack, tools such as can also be effective and restore at least some of your lost data.
From our report of Nov 2022 · not reviewed since
Adware removal
If the previous removal method did not work and you still experience symptoms like an increased amount of commercial content, banners, surveys, or redirects you might be infected by adware.
These programs often infiltrate the systems as bundled software from freeware distribution sites.
If you have no idea which app is responsible for such activities, you should deploy or professional security software that will perform a full system scan and eliminate it automatically. They can also prevent such infections in the future by warning you. If you still prefer doing it yourself, here are step-by-step instructions for Windows and macOS:
Instructions for Windows 10/8 machines:
For macOS users:
To fully remove an unwanted app, you need to access Application Support, LaunchAgents, and LaunchDaemons folders and delete relevant files:
- Enter Control Panel into Windows search box and hit Enter or click on the search result.
- Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
- From the list, find the entry of the suspicious program.
- Right-click on the application and select Uninstall.
- If User Account Control shows up, click Yes.
- Wait till uninstallation process is complete and click OK.
- Click on Windows Start > Control Panel located on the right pane (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs).
- In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
- Pick the unwanted application by clicking on it once.
- At the top, click Uninstall/Change.
- In the confirmation prompt, pick Yes.
- Click OK once the removal process is finished.
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for all related entries.
- Click on the app and drag it to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash)
- Select Go > Go to Folder.
- Enter /Library/Application Support and click Go or press Enter.
- In the Application Support folder, look for any dubious entries and then delete them.
- Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the related .plist files.
Questions about Captchasee.live
I pressed Win+R and pasted the code from captchasee[.]live. Am I hacked?
Assume yes and act now. The command a fake CAPTCHA on captchasee[.]live copies to your clipboard downloads and runs malware, usually an information stealer or a remote access trojan, and stealers can copy browser passwords and cookies within a minute. Disconnect the PC from the internet.
Run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan, then remove new startup items, scheduled tasks and programs. From another device, change your e-mail password first, then banking and everything else saved in the browser, sign out of all sessions and turn on two-step verification. If crypto wallets were on the PC, move the funds from a clean device.
Why does captchasee[.]live ask me to run a command to prove I am human?
Because the command is the attack. Real human checks, from Google, Cloudflare or anyone else, only ask you to click or solve a puzzle inside the page; none ever needs the Windows Run box. Criminals use this trick, called ClickFix, because browsers block malicious downloads but cannot stop you from running something yourself.
The page on captchasee[.]live mimics a familiar verification box to make the request feel routine. If any page asks you to press Win+R, open PowerShell or paste anything into Windows, close it. That one rule defeats every ClickFix page.
Does a human-verification check know about Captchasee.live?
Large brands such as a human-verification check are aware that scammers copy their names and logos, and most have pages where you can report such abuse. They do not run these pages and do not profit from the warnings themselves.
Sometimes an affiliate of an antivirus vendor sends traffic through fake alerts, which breaks the vendor's rules and gets the affiliate banned when reported. If you want to help, report the page address to the brand's security team and to your browser through its report option.
Why does my browser keep opening captchasee[.]live?
Because something sends you there. The usual causes are a notification permission you gave to some site, an adware extension, or a site you visit often that shows redirect ads. The site itself cannot open on its own.
Remove unknown sites from the notification settings, check the extensions list, and do not restore the previous session when the browser starts. If the page appears even with the browser closed, look in Installed apps for programs you did not install. Running a scan with Windows Security afterwards confirms that nothing else is involved.
Why does Captchasee.live use the a human-verification check design?
Because people see real a human-verification check checks every day and click through them without thinking. The attackers copy the familiar box, the colours and the wording, then add a few extra steps that look like part of the routine.
The trust in the real service is what makes the trick work. That is also why the page appears on ordinary websites: a hacked site with a familiar check feels safe. The extra keyboard steps are the only reliable sign, and they are always fake.
I closed it, but it appeared again the next day. Why?
A page that returns on its own has a trigger. Look at how it appeared: from a pop-up in the corner of the screen means a notification permission; on start-up means a session restore or a changed start page; while browsing any site means an extension; on one particular site means that site's ads.
Each has a quick fix in the browser settings. If none of them explains it, reset the browser, which clears permissions, extensions and start pages together.
The page will not close. What can I do?
Press Esc to leave full-screen mode, then close the tab. If the browser is frozen, open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc, select the browser and click End task. When you restart the browser, do not restore tabs.
If the page loads again on start, open a new window and close the old one, then remove the page from the browser's startup settings. Restarting the PC also works. Nothing was installed by the page, so closing it by force is safe and loses nothing.
Can Captchasee.live harm my PC just by being open?
No. A web page runs inside the browser's sandbox and cannot install programs, read your files or change Windows settings on its own. Captchasee.live can only make noise, fill the screen and try to persuade you. The risk begins when you follow it:
- calling the number
- paying
- downloading a file
- pasting a command
Close the page, and if it frightened you into doing one of those, follow the matching steps in this guide. Otherwise, nothing on the PC needs cleaning or repairing.
Does Captchasee.live affect other devices at home?
No. A page in a browser lives in that browser on that PC. The pattern reported, A fake CAPTCHA on captchasee[.]live that asks you to paste a command, does not spread across a home network or through the router.
Other devices are only affected if they visit the same kind of site or if you used them to call, pay or install something the page asked for.
If you share a browser profile through sync, check notification settings and extensions on each computer that uses that profile, because a permission granted on one PC can follow you to the others.
Will Fortect remove Captchasee.live?
Fortect scans Windows for malware and unwanted programs and repairs the system files and settings they change, and its free scan shows what it finds on your PC before you decide anything.
For Captchasee.live, follow the plan above as well: the browser steps take back permissions and settings that no scanner treats as a threat, and uninstalling the program that brought it removes the source.
Run Microsoft Defender's full scan and, if anything was found, its offline scan as a second opinion. If the symptoms are gone after the plan and both scans are clean, there is nothing more to do.
Sources
- Exabeam: Top 8 Social Engineering Techniques and How to Prevent Them [2022] (read October 7, 2026)
- Makeuseof: Why Should You Avoid Illegal Streaming Sites? (read October 7, 2026)
- Howtogeek: PUPs Explained: What is a "Potentially Unwanted Program"? (read October 7, 2026)
- FTC: How to spot, avoid and report tech support scams (read October 7, 2026)
- FTC: How to recognize, remove and avoid malware (read October 7, 2026)