Scareware is a form of malware that uses fear-based tactics to trick users into installing malicious software or providing sensitive information. A classic example of scareware is the tech support scam, where fake pop-ups warn users that their device is infected with malware, urging them to call a fraudulent support number or download bogus anti-malware tools. These types of scams have plagued many users, especially with fake Microsoft IT support warnings.
To counteract this threat, Microsoft has introduced a new feature called Scareware Blocker in Microsoft Edge, first announced at the 2024 Ignite conference. Currently available for Microsoft Edge Insiders, the feature will eventually be available to the general public after more testing. The Scareware Blocker is designed as a proactive defense against these types of scams, particularly those that use full-screen pop-ups to scare users into taking harmful actions.
The feature works by using a local machine learning model, which compares full-screen pages against a collection of known scams submitted by the Microsoft community. When a suspicious page is detected, the browser exits full-screen mode, displays a warning, and allows the user to decide whether to proceed or not. The system operates entirely on the user’s local device, ensuring privacy by not sending any data to the cloud.
To activate the Scareware Blocker, users need to install the beta version of Microsoft Edge, which runs alongside the regular version. After updating to the latest beta version, users can enable the feature by navigating to Settings > Privacy, Search, and Services, then toggling on the Scareware Blocker. Microsoft encourages users to report both genuine scam sites and false positives to improve the tool’s accuracy over time.