Trusted-captcha.top: what it is and how to remove it
Trusted-captcha.top adware is the potentially unwanted program that exposes users to dubious websites with the purpose of causing redirects to sponsored sites, and commercial content platforms. This is the main goal of the adware-type intruder - to collect views and page visits on other platforms.
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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Trusted-captcha.top: summary
| Distribution | Freeware installation, deceptive advertising campaigns, and pages, misleading ads |
|---|---|
| Name | Trusted-captcha.top |
| Type | Adware, push notifications virus, redirect |
| Category | Potentially unwanted program |
| Issues | Advertisements appear not to originate from the site and promote additional tools or random platforms. Notifications appear on the screen when the web browser is closed |
| Danger | The threat is related to various third-party advertisers and sponsors that inject their programs and can lead to privacy, security, or identity theft issues |
| 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 8 more facts
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
|---|---|
| Damage | Not recorded in the old report |
| 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 | trusted-captcha[.]top |
| First seen | 7 June 2022 |
| Facts checked | 7 October 2026 |
Is the Trusted-captcha.top check real?
- Address:
trusted-captcha[.]top
From our report of Jun 2022 · not reviewed since
More from our earlier report on Trusted-captcha.top
- Threats like this can be removed using anti-malware tools that find and terminate the PUP
- Run the application like to stop additional issues and repair affected system data
What the Trusted-captcha.top scammers want
From our report of Jun 2022 · not reviewed since
Trusted-captcha.top ads spam users and lead to malicious pages online
Trusted-captcha.top adware is the potentially unwanted program that exposes users to dubious websites with the purpose of causing redirects to sponsored sites, and commercial content platforms.
This is the main goal of the adware-type intruder - to collect views and page visits on other platforms. The browser-based application creates notification spam and injects advertisements to sites that normally do not show banners, pop-ups, or different types of commercial content.
You might notice banners, pop-ups, redirects with surveys, promotional material, and direct offers for purchasing or downloading software. These pages can be laced with malicious programs and trigger the direct installation of the adware when you do not pay close attention to details or red flags. This is one of the ways that Trusted-captcha.top and other PUPs can be distributed.
You can catch other programs when browsing the internet due to these dubious platforms and malicious pages. Also, once these random redirects show Allow or Agree on messages, clicking on the pop-ups can lead to automatic notification spam and desktop advertisements that appear when the browser is closed. You need to remove the PUP to stop this unwanted behavior.
Trusted-captcha.top tries to trick people into allowing additional content or into subscribing to push notifications from this or other commercial pages. The app triggers problems with the performance because it delivers intrusive advertisements to the screen constantly. All these redirects affect the speed significantly.
An infection like this controls online traffic with continuous reroutes and push notifications or pop-up advertisements. Trusted-captcha.top adware can run on the machine and send spam directly to your screen or desktop, or mobile phone screen. This is a useless application that needs to be deleted as soon as possible.
From our report of Jun 2022 · not reviewed since
Terminating the PUP
Trusted-captcha.top notifications are caused by the intruder running in the background, so these processes are controlled by the system.
You cannot easily find the application that shows those ads and trigger the appearance of the push notification or direct website on the browser.
It is possible, however, to terminate the adware-type intruder that causes all the issues with the rerouting and desktop push notifications. You need to get anti-malware or system security tools and run the full system to check the searches for malware and PUP, so the Trusted-captcha.top adware can be detected and eliminated.
These apps like or can check the machine automatically and list all potential threats, so none of the intruders can trigger more problems. This process should be implemented as soon as you see those intrusive ads, and receive redirects, notice additional browser-based applications installed on the machine.
From our report of Jun 2022 · not reviewed since
Stopping notifications
Experts note that sometimes these applications can lead to problems with the browser-based processes and install applications directly on Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox browsers.
This behavior also includes alteration of particular functions and features and preferences.
Trusted-captcha.top push notification ads can appear continuously and even after the full system scan and PUP removal procedure. It is because of the alterations made to settings and things that PUP changes before any other symptoms appear. You need to solve these issues manually.
Remove unwanted notifications from Google Chrome (desktop):
Remove unwanted notifications from Google Chrome (Android):
Remove unwanted notifications from Mozilla Firefox:
Remove unwanted notifications from Safari:
Remove unwanted notifications from MS Edge:
Remove unwanted notifications from MS Edge (Chromium):
Remove unwanted notifications from Internet Explorer:
- Open Google Chrome browser and go to Menu > Settings.
- 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.
- 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 the 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 the 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.
- Open Internet Explorer, and click on the Gear icon at the top-right of the window.
- Select Internet options and go to the Privacy tab.
- In the Pop-up Blocker section, click on Settings.
- Locate web address in question under Allowed sites and pick Remove.
From our report of Jun 2022 · not reviewed since
Tips for the future
These programs cause various pop-ups on the screen and can expose users to malicious advertisements online.
All those offers, surveys, giveaway messages, or Bitcoin investment suggestions can lead to malicious sites, and trigger malware drops on the machine. There are more advanced viruses than this Trusted-captcha.top adware.
Even those errors, system warnings, and alerts about the infection on your machine can be scam messages that aim to trick you into allowing the program installation or, even worse - paying for the useless AV tool or system program. Make sure to ignore any of these alerts and avoid clicking on any of the messages and pop-ups caused by the exposure to these sites or Trusted-captcha.top ads.
The program that resides in the background and causes these issues can be installed by the users themselves. It happens because people tend to skip during freeware installation processes or entirely ignore red flags and allow all included and pre-bundled programs to get installed on the machine.
Try to avoid these infiltrations of adware and other browser-based programs by choosing proper sources and websites that provide proper, safe versions of these apps - official developer pages. Also, you can avoid Trusted-captcha.top adware installation by relying on Advanced or Custom installation options during every program download process.
What to do if you ran the Trusted-captcha.top 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 Trusted-captcha.top 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 Trusted-captcha.top 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
Trusted-captcha.top 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 Trusted-captcha.top 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
Instructions for each browser and system
The detailed steps for every browser and system this guide covers. Open the one you use.
Uninstall from Windows
Uninstall from Windows 10/8:
- Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
- Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:
- Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
- In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
Remove the unwanted program:
- In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
- If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.
Remove from Google Chrome
Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:
- Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
- In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all suspicious extensions related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.
Clear cache and web data from Chrome:
- Click on Menu and pick Settings.
- Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
- Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
- Click Clear data.
Change your homepage:
- Click menu and choose Settings.
- Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
- 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:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
- Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
- Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
- Confirm with Reset settings.
Remove from Microsoft Edge
Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:
- Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
- From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
- Click Remove.
Clear cookies and other browser data:
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Select Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files. (apart from passwords, although you might want to include Media licenses as well, if applicable) and click on Clear.
Restore new tab and homepage settings:
- Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
- Then find On startup section.
- Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.
Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:
- Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
- Select Details tab.
- Now scroll down and locate every entry with Microsoft Edge name in it. Right-click on each of them and select End Task to stop MS Edge from running.
Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):
- Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
- Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.
Clear cache and site data:
- Click on Menu and go to Settings.
- Select Privacy, search and services.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Under Time range, pick All time.
- Select Clear now.
Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- On the left side, pick Reset settings.
- Select Restore settings to their default values.
- Confirm with Reset.
- This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.
Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)
Remove dangerous extensions:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
- Select Add-ons.
- In here, select the unwanted extension and click Remove.
Reset the homepage:
- Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
- Choose Settings.
- Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.
Clear cookies and site data:
- Click Menu and pick Settings.
- Go to Privacy & Security section.
- Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
- Click on Clear Data...
- Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.
Reset Mozilla Firefox
If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
- Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.
- Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
- Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.
Delete from Safari
Remove dangerous extensions:
- Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
- Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.
Clear history and website data:
- Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
- Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.
Reset Safari:
- Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
- Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.
Delete from macOS
Remove the unwanted application:
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).
Delete leftover files and folders:
- Select Go > Go to Folder.
- Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
- Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.
- Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.
Protect your privacy - employ a VPN
There are several ways how to make your online time more private - you can access an incognito tab.
However, there is no secret that even in this mode, you are tracked for advertising purposes. There is a way to add an extra layer of protection and create a completely anonymous web browsing practice with the help of VPN. This software reroutes traffic through different servers, thus leaving your IP address and geolocation in disguise.
Besides, it is based on a strict no-log policy, meaning that no data will be recorded, leaked, and available for both first and third parties. The combination of a secure web browser and VPN will let you browse the Internet without a feeling of being spied or targeted by criminals.
No backups? No problem. Use a data recovery tool
If you wonder how data loss can occur, you should not look any further for answers - human errors, malware attacks, hardware failures, power cuts, natural disasters, or even simple negligence.
In some cases, lost files are extremely important, and many straight out panic when such an unfortunate course of events happen. Due to this, you should always ensure that you prepare proper data backups on a regular basis.
If you were caught by surprise and did not have any backups to restore your files from, not everything is lost. is one of the leading file recovery solutions you can find on the market - it is likely to restore even lost emails or data located on an external device.
Questions about Trusted-captcha.top
I only saw the trusted-captcha[.]top CAPTCHA and closed it. Is that safe?
Yes. The page on trusted-captcha[.]top copies a command to your clipboard, but a clipboard does nothing on its own. Unless you opened the Run box, PowerShell or Terminal and pasted it, nothing ran.
To be tidy, copy some harmless text so the command is no longer on the clipboard, and if clipboard history is on, delete the entry with Win+V. Then think about how you reached the page:
- a hacked site
- an ad
- a link in a message
If notifications from strange sites keep opening pages like it, remove them in the browser settings.
Was trusted-captcha[.]top hacked, or is it a scam site?
Both happen. Many ClickFix pages are injected into legitimate websites whose software was not updated, so a site you know can suddenly show a fake check. Others sit on throwaway domains reached through ads or links in messages.
For you the answer is the same: do not follow the instructions on trusted-captcha[.]top, and if you already did, clean the PC and change passwords. If the site belongs to a business you trust, let them know through a contact form; they may not realise their pages have been tampered with.
Does a human-verification check know about Trusted-captcha.top?
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 trusted-captcha[.]top?
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 Trusted-captcha.top 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.
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.
Which browser settings protect against fake alerts?
Three matter most. First, notifications: set your browser to ask before allowing them, and block sites you do not trust. Second, reputation checks: SmartScreen in Edge and Safe Browsing in Chrome warn you before known scam pages load, and Firefox has its own deceptive-content protection under Privacy & Security.
Third, pop-ups and redirects: keep the default blocking on. Add a reputable ad blocker if fake alerts keep reaching you through ads on sites you use. Review the notification list every few months.
Can Trusted-captcha.top 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. Trusted-captcha.top 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.
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.
Will Fortect remove Trusted-captcha.top?
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 Trusted-captcha.top, 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
- Trendmicro: PUP (read October 7, 2026)
- Checkpoint: Mobile adware: the silent plague with no origin (read October 7, 2026)
- Losvirus: Losvirus (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)