How to get rid of the advertisements displayed by the headcaptcha.live site

What kind of page is headcaptcha[.]live?

Our research discovered the headcaptcha[.]live page while checking out suspicious websites. This rogue webpage pushes browser notification spam and redirects visitors to different (likely deceptive/malicious) sites. Users typically enter headcaptcha[.]live and pages akin it - through redirects caused by websites that use rogue advertising networks.

Headcaptcha[.]live overview

The content encountered on and through rogue websites may vary since it can depend on the visitor's IP address (geolocation).

When we investigated headcaptcha[.]live, it presented us with an image of a robot saying - "CLICK ALLOW TO CONFIRM THAT YOU ARE NOT A ROBOT!". This CAPTCHA verification is fake, and by attempting to complete it - users will inadvertently enable headcaptcha[.]live to display browser notifications.

When we pressed the "Allow" button - we were redirected to a page running a scam similar to "Win A New iPhone 13", "Chrome Search Contest 2022", "AMAZON TRIAL", and countless others.

Rogue webpages use their notifications to run intrusive advert campaigns. The delivered ads endorse scams, unreliable/harmful websites and software, and even malware.

To summarize, through sites like headcaptcha[.]live - users can experience system infections, severe privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft.

Threat Summary:

Name	Ads by headcaptcha.live
Threat Type	Push notifications ads, Unwanted ads, Pop-up ads
Detection Names	N/A (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address	5.8.45.98
Observed Domains	f.headcaptcha[.]live; e.headcaptcha[.]live; a.headcaptcha[.]live; d.headcaptcha[.]live; h.headcaptcha[.]live; b.headcaptcha[.]live; c.headcaptcha[.]live
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, 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.

Browser notification spam in general

We have inspected thousands of rogue websites; newadsfit[.]com, nidescar[.]com, topmusicalcomedy[.]com, essential-scan[.]com, and cartech[.]cfd are just a few examples.

These pages deliver browser notifications (adverts) that promote online scams and malicious content. While legitimate products can be encountered via these advertisements, they are unlikely to be endorsed in this fashion by their developers. Instead, the promotion is undertaken by scammers who abuse the products' affiliate programs in order to obtain illegitimate commissions.

How did headcaptcha[.]live gain permission to deliver spam notifications?

Websites require user permission to deliver browser notifications. Hence, if you are receiving ads of this kind from headcaptcha[.]live - it means that you have likely visited it and consented to their delivery. In other words, selected "Allow", "Allow Notifications", or a similar option presented on this webpage.

It is pertinent to mention that pages like headcaptcha[.]live commonly use deception to trick visitors into enabling notification delivery.

How to prevent deceptive sites from delivering spam notifications?

To avoid receiving unwanted browser notifications, do not click "Allow", "Allow Notifications", or any analogous options displayed by suspicious sites. We advise ignoring or denying the notification requests from such webpages (i.e., clicking "Block", "Block Notifications", etc.).

Should your browser continuously force-open questionable websites, it could be caused by adware installed onto it or the system. If your computer is already infected with rogue applications, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate them.

Screenshot of a notification/ad delivered by the headcaptcha[.]live website:

Appearance of the headcaptcha[.]live website (GIF):

Video showing how to eliminate ads delivered by headcaptcha[.]live 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 headcaptcha.live?
• 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 headcaptcha[.]live in the right lower corner of my desktop?

Sites need user consent to deliver browser notifications. Hence, you've likely accessed headcaptcha[.]live and clicked "Allow", "Allow Notifications", or a similar option presented on this page.

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

No, clicking on a browser notification will not initiate any malware download/installation chains. However, the websites and apps promoted through these ads can be dangerous and cause serious issues (including system infections).

Is headcaptcha[.]live a virus?

No, sites like headcaptcha[.]live are not deemed to be viruses, but they do endorse various scams, untrustworthy/harmful software, and even malware.

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

Yes, Combo Cleaner is capable of scanning devices and reverting the permissions given to headcaptcha[.]live. It can also restrict further access to this and other rogue/malicious sites. Therefore, no extra steps will be necessary.

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