Scareware blocker

Frequently asked questions

• What is “scareware”?

  Scareware refers to deceptive websites that try to trick you into thinking your computer is infected or broken—often via fake alerts, full screen warnings, loud alarm sounds, locked keyboard/mouse, or fake tech support demands. These tactics aim to panic you into installing harmful software or giving scammers access.

• How does Scareware blocker protect me?

  When enabled, Edge runs a local machine learning model that detects suspicious full screen behaviours or scams such as page activity in real time. If a page matches known scam patterns, Edge exits full screen, silences any audio, and displays a warning—giving you the option to close the page or continue. Edge also blocks suspicious notifications and alerts you about dangerous sites with helpful messages directly in your browser window.

  Learn more about preventing online scams with Scareware Blocker in Microsoft Edge.

• Is my data protected?

  Yes. Scareware blocker checks pages locally on your device by default. If Scareware blocker detects a suspicious full-screen page, the new scareware sensor can notify Microsoft Defender SmartScreen about the potential scam immediately, without sharing screenshots or any extra data beyond what SmartScreen already receives. Scareware blocker does not capture or send screenshots unless you choose to include one when submitting feedback.

  If you would like to turn off Scareware blocker sharing detected scam sites with SmartScreen, go to Settings > Privacy, search and services > Security > and then turn off "Share detected scam sites with Microsoft Defender SmartScreen".

  Learn more about expanded Scareware Blocker availability and real-time protection in Microsoft Edge.

• How can I submit feedback when the Scareware blocker appears in Microsoft Edge?

  Whenever the Scareware blocker is triggered, Edge will automatically prompt you to share feedback about your experience. Here’s what happens:

  • The Scareware blocker appears and alerts you to the suspicious page.
  • When you choose to continue or close the page, Edge opens a feedback form.
  • The form is pre-filled with relevant context to help you report the issue quickly, along with a screenshot of the page that caused the Scareware blocker to appear.
  • Review the information and submit your feedback.

  This helps Microsoft continue improving the Scareware blocker and ensures we can respond to new scareware tactics effectively.

• Is Scareware blocker turned on by default?

  For most Windows and macOS devices with sufficient resources (e.g., more than 2 GB RAM and at least 4–5 CPU cores), yes—it’s enabled by default. On lower spec devices, it may require manual enablement. On very low spec devices, the option may not appear.

  To quickly and easily check if Scareware blocker is turned on, Open Edge ▸ Settings ▸ Privacy, Search, and Services ▸ Security ▸ Scareware blocker.

• How can I check what my device specifications are?

  For users on Windows 11 devices, you can check how much RAM your device has by going to Settings on your Windows device, clicking on System, and then About. Your RAM will be displayed on this screen, along with other useful information. You can check how many cores your device has by right-clicking on the Start menu button (the Windows icon at the bottom of your screen) or by opening Task Manager (pressing Ctrl+Shift+Esc on your keyboard at the same time), then selecting the Performance icon tab on the left side of the window. The number of cores will be shown on this screen, along with other information.  

• What happens if Edge mistakenly blocks a legitimate site (false positive)?

  You can choose to continue to the page if you believe the page is safe by selecting Continue and mark as safe.

• Does Scareware blocker replace SmartScreen or other protections?

  No—it’s an additional, complementary layer of defence. SmartScreen and other protections help block known malicious or phishing sites, while Scareware blocker detects behaviour-based scams (like full-screen hijack attempts) that may not yet appear on blocklists. Scareware blocker provides a first line of defence in the critical time before scams are reported and SmartScreen can start blocking them, helping reduce the window of exposure for fast-moving threats.

• Will it work on all devices and operating systems?

  Scareware blocker is supported on Windows and macOS laptop and desktop devices running the latest compatible Edge version. Very low spec devices (e.g. certain RAM/CPU thresholds) may not support it; in such cases, the setting may not be visible. Feature availability may vary by device type, OS version, and region.