Fake Verification Tests Lead to Malware

Planning on traveling for the upcoming holidays? Be careful with new social engineering hacks happening in public locations such as airports. Here’s how the scam works:

You’re redirected to a page that says something like “Click here to join the free Wi-Fi.” Next, you’re greeted with a fake CAPTCHA puzzle. Finally, this is where the hack preys on human ignorance—it asks you to complete a “verification” (see image for an example). What you don’t realize is that when you press the series of keys it tells you to, you’ve just activated a JavaScript code that infects your computer with malware.

Remember, legitimate software won’t ask you to “verify” yourself by pressing keys. Also, always check the URLs of the websites you’re on. If they look suspicious, it’s best to close the page immediately.