The Scam Blocker in the DuckDuckGo browser now also protects against fake webshops, fake crypto platforms, and scareware. The feature is enabled by default for all users.
Google and Chrome competitor DuckDuckGo has expanded its Scam Blocker feature in the browser. The tool already blocked phishing websites and malware, but now also recognizes websites that offer fake products or services. These include fake webshops, fraudulent investment platforms, websites with fake antivirus software (scareware), and malicious survey pages that deceive users into disclosing personal information or transferring money.
Anonymous
According to DuckDuckGo, Scam Blocker works completely anonymously. Browsers like Chrome or Safari use Google’s Safe Browsing service, which shares browsing behavior in real-time with Google. DuckDuckGo says it doesn’t do anything like that.
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Instead, it uses data from the independent cybersecurity company Netcraft. The Scam Blocker downloads a list of suspicious websites to the browser every twenty minutes, which is stored locally and compared to visited websites. When there’s a match, a warning appears.
The Scam Blocker also detects phishing websites that pose as legitimate companies, websites with automatic malware downloads, and advertisements that try to spread malware via trackers (malvertising). The goal of these websites is often identical: to financially mislead users or steal sensitive data.
Free and without Account
Users don’t need to sign up or create an account to use the protection. The feature is freely available in both the desktop and mobile versions of the DuckDuckGo browser.
The expansion of Scam Blocker is a response to the trend of increasing fraud. According to DuckDuckGo, in 2024, consumers worldwide lost billions of euros to internet scams, especially through investment fraud, fake webshops, and misleading services.