TipChrome now uses Google's AI to warn you about more scam sites
If you have Enhanced protection turned on in Chrome, Google now lets its AI Gemini check pages that look like scams, such as fake virus warnings and fake updates. Chrome also warns you if a page tries to trick you into copying in a command to "fix" your computer. The protection is a setting you turn on yourself.
On 20 October 2026 Google announced new protections in Chrome. They apply if you have chosen the Enhanced protection level in Chrome's Safe Browsing settings. Previously Chrome used a smaller AI model on some computers to spot fake tech support, meaning pages that claim your computer is infected and that you should call a number. Now a larger Gemini model at Google is used, and it is meant to catch more kinds of scams, such as fake antivirus programs and fake browser updates. Gemini is Google's bot, an AI you chat with, like ChatGPT.
According to Google, the model looks at which company the page pretends to be, what the page wants you to do and how likely it is to be a scam. Chrome only sends the page text on when the page already shows clear signs of fraud, and Google says the text is not logged, not kept and not used to train AI models.
Chrome also gets two levels of warnings. A suspicious site gives a smaller warning where you decide whether to continue. A dangerous site gives the familiar red full-page warning. On top of that, Chrome now warns about a common trick called ClickFix: a page claims something is broken and asks you to copy a command into your computer to fix it. If you copy such a suspicious command, Chrome checks it and shows a warning if it is dangerous.
Good to know: Enhanced protection sends the web address and a small sample of the page content to Google for checking, according to Google's help page. Standard protection, which is on by default, sends less. So you get better protection in exchange for sharing a little more with Google.
How to get started
- Open Chrome on your computer and click the three dots in the top right.
- Choose Settings, then Privacy and security, then Security.
- Choose Enhanced protection.
- Never paste in a command that a web page says will fix your computer. Close the page instead.
- Help a parent or grandparent do the same on their computer.
More on TipAI
Sources
- Google: Our latest defenses against evolving web scams (20 okt 2026) (retrieved 2026-10-21)
- Google Chrome Hjälp: Välj skyddsnivå för Säker webbsökning i Chrome (retrieved 2026-10-21)
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