A new type of online scam, known as scareware, aims to frighten people into taking actions they wouldn’t otherwise take, such as installing malicious software or calling fake technical support. These scams often involve websites designed to appear alarming or threatening, with the goal of tricking users into divulging sensitive information or compromising their computer's security.
Scareware websites typically employ tactics such as opening in full-screen mode, displaying false virus warnings, or claiming a computer has serious security vulnerabilities. They may also use loud alarm sounds or simulated system messages to create a sense of urgency. The ultimate goal is to deceive users into downloading malware or granting remote access to their computer to someone posing as a technical support expert.
To combat these threats, a popular web browser includes a built-in scareware blocker. This feature uses artificial intelligence to identify and warn users about fake websites. The analysis is performed locally on the user's computer, ensuring that no sensitive information is transmitted to the browser's developers.
The scareware blocker works by identifying websites that exhibit suspicious behavior and warning users before they interact with them. If a website is identified as a scareware threat, its address is sent to a security service that warns users when they attempt to visit the site. This helps to prevent users from falling victim to these scams.
The scareware blocker is enabled by default on many computers, but users can verify its status and adjust settings as needed. To access the feature, users can navigate to the browser's security settings. The settings allow users to block websites detected as fraudulent and share detected threats with a security service.
The availability of the scareware blocker depends on the computer's specifications, including RAM and processor capabilities. On computers with more than 2GB of RAM and a processor with at least five cores, the feature is active by default. On other PCs, users must enable it manually. The feature is not available on PCs with limited resources.
