Microsoft Edge Rolls Out Scareware Sensor for Faster Scam Detection 🛡️

In a major update to browser security, Microsoft Edge now includes a new “scareware sensor” — built to detect scam pages faster and block them before they reach victims.

🔎 What is Scareware — and Why It Matters

Scareware refers to malicious or fraudulent websites that use fake full‑screen pop‑ups, alarming warnings, or fake virus/technical support alerts to trick users into giving access to their devices or paying bogus support fees.

These fake warnings often aim to scare users into thinking their computer is infected or compromised, prompting them to call fake support numbers or download malicious software.

✅ What the New Scareware Sensor Does

• The first defense was introduced earlier this year, called “Scareware Blocker,” which uses a local on-device model (computer vision + ML) to detect suspicious full-screen pages. When detected, Edge automatically exits full-screen mode, mutes aggressive audio, warns the user and shows a thumbnail of the flagged page.

• According to Microsoft, this blocker worked effectively — often catching new scams hours or even days before they appeared in global blocklists.

• But scam websites evolve extremely fast. In many cases, by the time global protections catch up, many users may already be exposed — roughly 30 % of targeted users could see the scam before blocking. 

To close this gap, starting November 2025 with Edge version 142, a new scareware sensor has been added. Now, when the blocker flags a suspicious page, Edge can immediately — and anonymously — notify Microsoft Defender SmartScreen. SmartScreen can then evaluate the page and block it globally, often before most users are exposed.

According to Microsoft’s data: in a test of a scam impersonating law‑enforcement, SmartScreen protection engaged when only about 5 % of the target group had encountered the scam — a dramatic improvement over previous 30% exposure before blocking