How to remove apps causing redirects to the captchadecode.com site?

What is captchadecode[.]com?

Captchadecode[.]com is a rogue website sharing many similar traits with steessay.com, contentgate.xyz, serch, hisurnhuh.com, and thousands of others. This page is designed to present visitors with dubious material and/or redirect them to various sites (likely, unreliable and malicious ones).

Websites of this kind are rarely accessed intentionally. Most users get redirected to them by rogue sites, intrusive adverts, or installed PUAs (Potentially Unwanted Applications). This software can infiltrate devices without user permission, and it typically has harmful abilities.

Captchadecode[.]com in detail

When captchadecode[.]com is entered, it first checks the visitor's IP (Internet Protocol) address to learn their geolocation. This data dictates the website's further course of action. Therefore, whether visitors are presented with questionable content and/or redirected elsewhere - depends on their IP addresses/ geolocations.

Furthermore, rogue pages use deceptive statements/instructions to trick users into enabling their browser notifications. Captchadecode[.]com is not an exception to this; it employs fake CAPTCHA verification for this purpose. Should users allow the notifications, captchadecode[.]com will begin running intrusive advertisement campaigns.

The delivered ads diminish the browsing experience, and they pose a threat to device/user safety. Once clicked on, intrusive advertisements redirect to untrustworthy/hazardous sites, and some can download/install software (e.g., PUAs) without user permission.

How do potentially unwanted applications operate?

Potentially unwanted applications can have varied heinous functionalities, which can be in different combinations. For example, these apps can force-open websites and/or deliver intrusive advertisement campaigns. What is more, most PUAs can track data.

Information of interest includes: URLs visited, webpages viewed, searched queries, IP addresses/ geolocations, personally identifiable details, and so on. PUA developers monetize the collected data by sharing it with and/or selling it to third-parties, likewise intent on misusing it for financial gain.

To summarize, the presence of unwanted software on devices can lead to system infections, severe privacy issues, and even identity theft. Therefore, it is strongly advised to remove all suspicious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins without delay.

Threat Summary:

Name	captchadecode.com pop-up
Threat Type	Push notifications ads, Unwanted ads, Pop-up ads
Symptoms	Seeing advertisements not originating from the sites you are browsing. Intrusive pop-up ads. Decreased Internet browsing speed.
Distribution Methods	Deceptive pop-up ads, potentially unwanted applications (adware)
Damage	Decreased computer performance, browser tracking - privacy issues, possible additional malware infections.
Malware Removal (Windows)	To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Potentially unwanted applications in general

PUAs usually appear legitimate and offer "handy" functions. However, the features seldom work as promised. The only goal of unwanted apps is to generate profit at user expense. Therefore, instead of delivering on any promises, PUAs can cause redirects, run intrusive ad campaigns, and gather private information.

How did adware install on my computer?

PUAs can be downloaded/installed together with other programs. "Bundling" is the term used to describe this false marketing tactic of packing regular software with unwanted/malicious additions. Rushed download/installation processes (e.g., ignored terms, skipped steps, etc.) increase the risk of allowing bundled content into the device.

Intrusive advertisements are used to spread PUAs as well. Upon being clicked, the adverts can execute scripts to make downloads/installations without user consent. Some PUAs also have "official" promotional webpages from which they can be downloaded.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

It is recommended to research software before download/installation. Additionally, only official and verified download channels must be used. Untrustworthy sources, e.g., unofficial and free file-hosting sites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks, and other third-party downloaders - often offer bundled and/or harmful content.

When downloading/installing, it is advised to read terms, study all available options, use the "Custom/Advanced" settings to opt-out from supplementary apps, tools, features, and so forth. Intrusive ads appear legitimate; however, they redirect to dubious websites (e.g., pornography, adult-dating, gambling, etc.).

In case of encounters with such adverts and/or redirects, the system must be checked and all suspect applications and browser extensions/plug-ins detected - immediately removed from it. If your computer is already infected with rogue applications, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate them.

Screenshots of ads delivered by the captchadecode[.]com website:

Appearance of the captchadecode[.]com website (GIF):

Instant automatic malware removal: Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Quick menu:

• What is captchadecode.com pop-up?
• STEP 1. Remove spam notifications from Google Chrome
• STEP 2. Remove spam notifications from Google Chrome (Android)
• STEP 3. Remove spam notifications from Mozilla Firefox
• STEP 4. Remove spam notifications from Microsoft Edge
• STEP 5. Remove spam notifications from Safari (macOS)

Disable unwanted browser notifications:

Video showing how to disable web browser notifications:

Remove spam notifications from Google Chrome:

Click the Menu button (three dots) on the right upper corner of the screen and select "Settings". In the opened window select "Privacy and security", then click on "Site Settings" and choose "Notifications".

In the "Allowed to send notifications" list search for websites that you want to stop receiving notifications from. Click on the three dots icon near the website URL and click "Block" or "Remove" (if you click "Remove" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again).

Remove spam notifications from Google Chrome (Android):

Tap the Menu button (three dots) on the right upper corner of the screen and select "Settings". Scroll down, tap on "Site settings" and then "Notifications".

In the opened window, locate all suspicious URLs and tap on them one-by-one. Once the pop-up shows up, select either "Block" or "Remove" (if you tap "Remove" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again).

Remove spam notifications from Mozilla Firefox:

Click the Menu button (three bars) on the right upper corner of the screen. Select "Settings" and click on "Privacy & Security" in the toolbar on the left hand side of the screen. Scroll down to the "Permissions" section and click the "Settings" button next to "Notifications".

In the opened window, locate all suspicious URLs and block them using the drop-down menu or either remove them by clicking "Remove Website" at the bottom of the window (if you click "Remove Website" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again).

Remove spam notifications from Microsoft Edge:

Click the menu button (three dots) on the right upper corner of the Edge window and select "Settings". Click on "Cookies and site permissions" in the toolbar on the left hand side of the screen and select "Notifications".

Click three dots on the right hand side of each suspicious URL under "Allow" section and click "Block" or "Remove" (if you click "Remove" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again).

Remove spam notifications from Safari (macOS):

Click "Safari" button on the left upper corner of the screen and select "Preferences...". Select the "Websites" tab and then select "Notifications" section on the left pane.

Check for suspicious URLs and apply the "Deny" option using the drop-down menu or either remove them by clicking "Remove" at the bottom of the window (if you click "Remove" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again)

How to avoid browser notification spam?

Internet users should be very skeptical when being asked to allow notifications. While this is a useful feature that allows you to receive timely news from websites you like, deceptive marketers frequently abuse it.

Only allow notifications from websites that you fully trust. For added security - use an anti-malware application with a real-time web browsing monitor to block shady websites that tries to trick you into allowing spam notifications. We recommend using Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows.

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