Multiple suburban law enforcement agencies have issued warnings about a new phishing scam that appears to resemble legitimate CAPTCHA requests.

Police departments in Addison and Naperville recently issued alerts on social media. The Naperville Police Department wrote on X:  Beware of CAPTCHA scams! The FTC recently released information about phishing scams resulting in personal and financial data being stolen. Learn how to spot one and protect yourself here: 

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Real CAPTCHA requests typically ask users to complete image- or text-based tasks to prove they are not robots, such as typing numbers exactly as they appear or identifying objects like fire hydrants or bicycles.

However, scammers are also using fake CAPTCHA prompts, and they may seem legitimate at first. Such requests may appear while browsing a website, and like real CAPTCHAs, may ask users to confirm they're human.

Instead of simple tasks, users might be asked to type a series of commands - such as  Windows + R,  then  Ctrl + V,  and then  Enter.  While language like  security verification  may appear on the screen, those steps can actually trigger hidden malware to be run on a device.

Once complete, scammers can quickly access sensitive information, including email account login data, mobile banking information and any other personal details.

The FTC noted on its website that legitimate CAPTCHAs will never ask users to run commands. If you see something downloading to your device after responding to a CAPTCHA, the agency recommends you take the following steps:

Disconnect from the internet

Run a security scam to remove the malware

Change your passwords and enable two-factor authentication

If you come across a CAPTCHA or pop-up that you think is going to spread malware, you can report it here.

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