The Hidden Threat: Fake Captcha Pages and their Danger to Businesses

Some may know the term CAPTCHA (Completely Automated Public Turing tests to tell Computers and Humans Apart). Most won’t recognise the name but would probably recognise a CAPTCHA if they came across it. They can quite often be seen as a nuisance but they play an important role in security. However, cybercriminals have weaponized this trust by creating fake CAPTCHA pages - a deceptive tactic used to steal credentials, distribute malware, and manipulate user behaviour.

CAPTCHA pages have been used for some time as a trusted security mechanism for blocking bots and automated attacks. However, they can be compromised. Businesses falling victim to a fake CAPTCHA scheme can result in data breaches, financial loss, and reputational damage.

This article from Shaun Walton explores how fake CAPTCHAs operate, their risks to businesses, and the best strategies to stay protected. Read, take note, and if necessary take action!

How they do it:

Cybercriminals design fake CAPTCHA pages to resemble legitimate verification processes, often very difficult to distinguish from the real thing. These fraudulent pages may appear in:

- Spoofed business login portals. Attackers embed fake CAPTCHA forms on phishing sites impersonating company login pages.

- Infected advertising networks (Malvertising). Malicious ads redirect users to fake CAPTCHAs before serving malware.

- Social engineering attacks. Fake CAPTCHA prompts trick users into giving away credentials or clicking harmful links.

Once a user engages with a fake CAPTCHA, this may trigger automatic malware downloads that compromise business systems.

But the good news is that businesses can cost-effectively protect themselves. Read on: