I recently visited The Animal Foundation's website in Las Vegas, and I got redirected to what seemed like a CAPTCHA scam. I clicked the 'verify human' button and when I pushed the Windows key + R, I got nervous seeing what opened up, so I closed everything right away. I ran a virus scan, deleted my browser history, switched my computer to airplane mode, performed disk cleanup, and then did another virus scan, which found nothing. I'm really hoping that since I didn't actually paste anything into the Run window, my computer is okay. I also left a voicemail with The Animal Foundation to let them know. I'm just not sure whether this is a them problem, a me problem, or both. This scam was really convincing because we're all trained to verify we're human these days. Luckily, my instincts kicked in before I made any serious mistakes!
2 Answers
No harm was done since you didn't run anything. The real concern is finding out why you got redirected in the first place. If your network is secure and your antivirus is up to date, you might just have stumbled upon a compromised site. It could be a problem on their end, so definitely let them know. People can report scammers to the FBI too, just to be safe!
You're in the clear! As long as you didn't paste anything into the Run window, you should be fine. Just remember, no reputable site should ask you to hit the Windows key; it's typically for shortcuts only.
I appreciate the info! I’ll be sure to follow up with them.