How to stop smartcaptcha.top from showing notifications

What kind of website is smartcaptcha[.]top?

While analyzing pages that use rogue advertising networks, we encountered smartcaptcha[.]top - another questionable website. We learned that smartcaptcha[.]top displays a deceptive image and message to trick visitors into agreeing to receive notifications. Also, it redirects visitors to various scam websites.

Smartcaptcha[.]top in detail

Smartcaptcha[.]top uses a clickbait technique to trick visitors into clicking the "Allow" button. It shows a fake CAPTCHA, a message claiming that visitors must click the "Allow" button to prove that they are not robots. Smartcaptcha[.]top uses this technique to lure visitors into allowing it to show notifications.

Smartcaptcha[.]top can show notifications promoting various scams, deceptive websites asking for personal information (e.g., passwords, credit card details), potentially malicious applications, etc. Moreover, its notifications can be designed to trick users into downloading malware.

We also found that smartcaptcha[.]top can redirect to a page running a scam similar to the "Amazon Loyalty Program" scam. Typically, these scams are used to extract sensitive information and (or) money. Thus, it is strongly recommended not to agree to receive notifications from smartcaptcha[.]top and trust websites promoted through it.

Threat Summary:

Name	Ads by smartcaptcha.top
Threat Type	Push notifications ads, Unwanted ads, Pop-up ads
Detection Names	N/A (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address	78.128.112.211
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, false claims within visited websites, 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.

More about pages of this type

It is uncommon for pages like smartcaptcha[.]top to be visited intentionally. Users open them by clicking on untrustworthy advertisements or while visiting torrent sites, illegal movie streaming pages, and similar websites. Also, these pages can be opened by installed adware or other unwanted software.

More examples of sites similar to smartcaptcha[.]top are ads4pc[.]com, saarmlife[.]ru, and fsmevh[.]com.

How did smartcaptcha[.]top gain permission to deliver spam notifications?

When websites want to show notifications, browsers notify visitors about that - they display "Allow" and "Block" (or similar) buttons. Permission for websites to deliver notifications is granted by clicking the "Allow" button. Websites cannot show notifications without permission. It means that smartcaptcha[.]top shows notifications because it has been allowed to do so.

How to prevent deceptive sites from delivering spam notifications?

Do not trust websites stating that it is required to click the "Allow" button to prove that you are not a robot, play the video, download a file, etc. Whenever an untrustworthy page asks for permission to show notifications, click the "Block", "Block Notifications" or close that website.

If you are receiving unwanted notifications, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate them.

Appearance of smartcaptcha[.]top website (GIF):

Notification from smartcaptcha[.]top:

Video showing how to eliminate ads delivered by smartcaptcha[.]top using Combo Cleaner:

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 Ads by smartcaptcha.top?
• 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.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why am I seeing ads (browser notifications) delivered by smartcaptcha[.]top in the right lower corner of my desktop?

This page shows notifications because it has been visited and allowed to show them. Websites are allowed to deliver notifications by clicking the "Allow" button (they do not show notifications unless they are allowed).

I have clicked on notification ads, is my computer infected?

Notifications cannot infect computers. However, they can lead to malicious pages.

Is smartcaptcha[.]top a virus?

Smartcaptcha[.]top is not a virus. It promotes various scams, shady applications, and websites. Smartcaptcha[.]top redirects to untrustworthy pages and can show notifications to promote them.

Will Combo Cleaner remove smartcaptcha[.]top ads automatically or manual steps are still required?

Yes, Combo Cleaner will scan your computer and remove permissions granted for smartcaptcha[.]top. Also, this application will block all further access to smartcaptcha[.]top. It will not be required to perform additional steps.

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