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By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor
October 24, 2026
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You're browsing the web when a frightening warning appears.
Your computer is infected, your browser needs an urgent update, or you must run a special command to fix a problem.
It looks convincing.
But is it real?
Google Chrome is strengthening its defenses against these increasingly sophisticated online scams, and artificial intelligence is playing a bigger role.
Google made several improvements to Chrome's scam detection, including suspicious website warnings, expanded Gemini AI analysis, and protection against a deceptive technique called ClickFix.
These improvements help Chrome recognize potential threats before you fall for a scam.
Here's a Cool Tip: Turn on Chrome's Enhanced Protection to help protect yourself against the latest online scams.
Feature Explanation
Chrome has long used Google Safe Browsing to warn users about dangerous websites, suspicious downloads, and phishing attempts.
What's changing is how Chrome identifies newer threats, including websites that haven't already been classified as dangerous.
1. Smarter Warnings for Suspicious Websites
Chrome's Enhanced Protection now distinguishes between two categories of risky websites:
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Suspicious sites: Websites displaying deceptive behavior that suggests a possible scam, even when Google has less confidence that the site is harmful.
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Dangerous sites: Websites identified as presenting a high risk, which continue to trigger Chrome's familiar full-page red warning.
The distinction matters because scammers regularly create new websites that may not appear on existing lists of dangerous sites.
The newer suspicious-site warnings use different wording, colors, and icons to help users understand the potential risk.
Instead of waiting for a website to be classified as dangerous, Chrome can warn users about suspicious behavior earlier.
2. Gemini AI Helps Spot Scams
Google is also expanding Chrome's use of Gemini artificial intelligence.
In 2025, Chrome introduced on-device Gemini technology to help detect certain tech support scams on supported devices.
Google has since moved to a more powerful server-side Gemini model, allowing it to extend scam detection to users with Enhanced Protection enabled.
The expanded system can examine indicators such as:
- The brand or organization a website claims to represent.
- The purpose of the website's content.
- Patterns suggesting the page may be attempting a scam.
Chrome combines Gemini's analysis with other security signals, including the website's reputation, before determining whether to display a warning.
This approach helps identify deceptive websites that imitate antivirus companies, browser-update notices, and technical support services.
3. Chrome Fights Dangerous ClickFix Scams
One of the most interesting improvements targets a scam technique called ClickFix.
Here's how it works.
You visit a website that claims something is wrong with your computer or browser.
The page displays instructions telling you to copy a command and paste it into Windows PowerShell, Command Prompt, or another system utility.
The command supposedly fixes the problem.
In reality, it may download malware or perform other harmful actions.
Because the user runs the command outside the browser, traditional browser download protections may not detect the attack.
Chrome's newer protection looks for certain suspicious commands copied from websites when Enhanced Protection is enabled.
If Chrome detects a potentially dangerous command, it can send the clipboard content to Google Safe Browsing for analysis after removing personally identifiable information.
If the command is judged dangerous, Chrome displays a warning.
Remember:
- Chrome will not ask you to repair a browser problem by copying commands from an unfamiliar website into your computer's terminal.
4. How Much Safer Is Enhanced Protection?
Google reports that Enhanced Protection users are ten times safer from certain web threats than users relying on Standard Protection.
That's an impressive claim, but there's an important distinction.
Google calculated the figure by comparing the average number of safety warnings shown to users of Enhanced Protection and Standard Protection.
It does not directly measure how many people avoided becoming scam victims or how much money was saved.
The comparison indicates that Enhanced Protection delivers substantially more security warnings, but no browser can guarantee protection against every scam.
What You'll Gain
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Earlier warnings: Identify suspicious websites that may not yet appear on traditional threat lists.
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Improved scam detection: Get additional protection against fake antivirus, tech support, and browser-update scams.
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Safer browsing: Receive alerts about certain dangerous commands associated with ClickFix attacks.
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Less guesswork: Let Chrome help identify suspicious activity before you take action.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here's how to do it.
Cool Notes:
- Chrome uses Standard Protection by default.
- Switching to Enhanced Protection is easy and does not require a separate subscription.
- You don't have to manually start an AI scan.
- Chrome performs these security checks as part of its browsing protection.
Windows, macOS, and ChromeOS
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Open Google Chrome.
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Click the three-dot More menu in the upper-right corner.
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Select Settings.
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Click Privacy and security.
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Select Security.
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Under Safe Browsing, choose Enhanced protection.
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Shortcut: Enter chrome://settings/security in Chrome's address bar to open the security settings directly.
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