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ZDNET’s key takeaways

Malicious CAPTCHAs are becoming increasingly popular as a lure.

They increased 563% in use over 2025.

Spotting a fake CAPTCHA can be challenging, but here’s how.

CAPTCHAs can be annoying, but they provide a level of user verification that can help web services defend against a range of cyber threats.

Unfortunately, they can also be employed as malicious lures that target visitors, and appear to be becoming a weapon of choice for modern cybercriminals.

Also: Why enterprise AI agents could become the ultimate insider threat

According to CrowdStrike’s 2026 Global Threat Report , published earlier this month, fake CAPTCHA lures are being adopted at breakneck speed by attackers hoping to compromise your devices.…