Microsoft Edge includes a built-in scareware blocker that uses on-device AI to detect and warn users about fake technical support and virus alert scams, and on many systems it is not enabled by default.
Scareware websites typically open in full-screen mode, display fake virus warnings or security alerts, play loud alarm sounds, and prompt users to download protective software that is actually malware or to call fake support numbers that lead to remote-access scams. The goal is to frighten users into taking actions that compromise their system.
Edge’s scareware blocker analyzes pages locally to identify these fraudulent sites before users can interact with them. Microsoft emphasizes that no screenshots or images from the user’s computer are transmitted, only the addresses of confirmed scareware sites are sent to Microsoft Defender SmartScreen to warn other users.
To enable the feature: click the gear icon in Edge’s bottom-right corner, navigate to Privacy, Search, and Services, then Security, and toggle Scareware Blocker on.
The feature is enabled by default on computers with more than 2 GB of RAM and a processor with at least five cores. On systems that do not meet this threshold, it must be manually activated. On machines with less than 1 GB of RAM or a single-core processor, the feature is not available.
Given that scareware attacks often succeed precisely because victims are panicked into acting before they can think critically, enabling the blocker preemptively, before encountering a fake alert, provides a layer of protection that does not require the user to recognize a scam in the moment.
Sources: Turn on Microsoft Edge’s scareware blocker before you need it (PCWorld, July 2026)