Edge cuts off scam sites that lure users back with notifications

Edge 156 revokes notification access when SmartScreen or Scareware blocker detects a scam, curbing alerts that send users back to fraudulent pages.

Microsoft Edge now revokes notification access from websites linked to detected scams, aiming to stop deceptive alerts from repeatedly steering users back to fraudulent pages. The feature, introduced with Edge 156, activates when Microsoft Defender SmartScreen or Scareware blocker identifies a scam reached through a website notification. Microsoft announced the change on 2 November, saying it emerged from patterns found in user reports. [1?] no! article body no source numbers. Avoid.

A common route begins with a website asking visitors to approve notifications, sometimes under the false pretence that permission is needed to verify they are human. Once granted, the site can send messages after the original page has been closed. Microsoft has previously described this abuse as an established tactic, including fake warnings intended to frighten people into buying software. Website notifications may also continue to appear after Edge has closed, according to Microsoft’s support guidance.

The new control links detection of the scam destination to the permission held by the site that sent the notification. Microsoft Edge engineers Rob Franco and Lu Huang said user-submitted reports helped reveal the pattern: alerts were drawing people back to pages that SmartScreen or Scareware blocker could identify as scams. When that happens, Edge disables notifications from the originating site. The browser explains the action at its next launch, and users can review the blocked sites in Settings and restore a permission if they consider the decision mistaken.

The protection does not amount to a guarantee that every fraudulent site will be intercepted before a user encounters it. Rather, it is designed to cut off a repeat route after Edge detects a scam. Microsoft says Scareware blocker protects tens of thousands of people each day against new scams, while reports from the feature can also inform broader SmartScreen protection. The company said each report during the preview helped protect about 50 additional users.

Edge also lets users report a suspicious request before granting notification access. On a permission prompt, the “Block and report” option can send Microsoft the requesting web address and a screenshot. The feature builds on earlier Edge measures against misleading permission prompts, including requests that imitate verification checks. Microsoft’s wider scareware guidance describes other pressure tactics, such as fake full-screen warnings, alarming sounds and simulated system messages.

Other scams use different ways to create the same sense of crisis. Malwarebytes has documented fake Microsoft-branded security scans that invent problems and encourage visitors to remove legitimate antivirus software, potentially leading to requests for personal or financial details. Microsoft says genuine error and warning messages do not include telephone numbers; its guidance warns against calling numbers shown in suspicious pop-ups.

If an unwanted notification appears, users can disable future alerts from that site through the notification’s menu or manage permissions in Edge Settings. Microsoft’s support instructions also explain how to restore a site’s permission. Avoid using links or repair buttons inside a suspicious warning: technical-support scams may use fake messages, persistent pop-ups or full-screen pages to pressure people into calling fraudulent support lines or paying for bogus help.