Fake CAPTCHA Scheme Sends Users Costly International SMS Bills

A fake CAPTCHA scam has been documented, where scammers create deceptive pages mimicking CAPTCHA verification. Users are tricked into sending costly international SMS messages, resulting in unexpected premium charges on their phone bills. The scam exploits telecom billing structures to create revenue through SMS pumping fraud without installing malware. Victims, often arriving on these pages through deceptive ads or links, are prompted to send multiple messages to high-fee international numbers.

The scam undermines both users and telecom carriers, as carriers face revenue losses from customer disputes. To protect against such scams, users should avoid sending SMS messages to verify identity and regularly check their bills for unknown charges.