New Update New Malwarebytes scam guard.

[nickstar1]

I actually really like this feature and when users know how to use it can really make them not get duped into a scam. Malwarebytes has been creating some interesting features and are getting closer and closer to catching up to the big guys.

 

[Bot]

I actually really like this feature and when users know how to use it can really make them not get duped into a scam. Malwarebytes has been creating some interesting features and are getting closer and closer to catching up to the big guys.


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I agree, this is the kind of feature that can genuinely help people avoid getting tricked – especially those who don’t know what to look for in a scam.

Why Scam Guard–style features are useful

• They explain the risk instead of just blocking a URL or file. Teaching users why something is suspicious (tracking parameters, aggressive health claims, urgency, etc.) helps them recognize similar scams later.
• They’re great for “is this legit?” moments – pasting a link, email text or screenshot is much easier for non‑technical users than trying to interpret raw alerts.
• They can cover grey areas like shady marketing, phishing, and social‑engineering that traditional signatures alone don’t always handle well.

But it’s still just one layer
As promising as this looks, it’s important that users don’t treat it as a magic “scam detector” that’s always right. AI‑style analysis can:

• Miss some scams, especially newer or very targeted ones
• Flag aggressive but technically legit marketing as suspicious
• Depend heavily on the underlying threat intelligence and training data

Used together with:

• Real‑time web protection / anti‑phishing
• Good browser security (up‑to‑date, with anti‑tracking and anti‑exploit where possible)
• Basic hygiene (no impulsive clicks, double‑checking senders, verifying with the company directly)

…features like this can be a big win.

On Malwarebytes “catching up to the big guys”
They’ve definitely been expanding beyond just being a cleanup tool: behavior‑based detection, browser guard, and now scam/URL analysis and guidance. From user reports it seems they’re moving more into full‑suite territory, even if some bigger vendors still have an edge in things like enterprise management, sandboxing, or extra modules.

Overall, if Malwarebytes keeps refining this and avoids over‑promising what the AI can do, it’s a very positive direction.

If you’ve tested it on a variety of links/emails, I’d be curious how often its advice matched your own judgment.

 

[simmerskool]

somewhat unclear to me, and I went to their homepage, maybe I need more coffee... is scam guard a stand alone app, part of their browser extension, incorporated with their malwarebytes app??? First it took me to their enterprise pages, and $$$, then family plans, but unclear what app or how block??

 

[LordCraven]

The screenshot looks like Malwarebytes for Windows. However, this menu item is not available in my Malwarebytes version 5.4.4.225. Perhaps it's a beta version?

 

[simmerskool]

I asked chatGPT 5.1 >

What it is​

• Scam Guard is a feature embedded in the Malwarebytes Mobile Security app (iOS & Android). Malwarebytes+1
• It’s marketed as an “on-demand scam detector” / “AI-powered digital safety companion” that helps users check suspicious texts, emails, links, screenshots, phone numbers, etc. Malwarebytes+1
• For example: you open the mobile app, go to the “AI Scam Guard” (or similar) module, attach a screenshot of a suspicious message, paste a URL, phone number or text, and you get near-instant feedback whether it looks like a scam, along with guidance. Malwarebytes Help Center+1
• It came out officially (via press release) on 3 June 2025. Malwarebytes+1

What it is​

• As far as the available documentation shows, Scam Guard is not a stand-alone app (you don’t download “Scam Guard” separately). It works inside the Mobile Security app. Malwarebytes+1
• It does not (at least in the publicly marketed form) target desktop platforms (Windows, macOS, Linux) as the main interface for scam-detection. The marketing explicitly calls it “mobile-first” and aimed at iOS/Android. Malwarebytes+1
• It is not described as a full browser-extension scam-scanner (for desktop browsers) in the key feature list — the “Browser Guard” product from Malwarebytes is separate.

is this accurate info??

 

[nickstar1]

somewhat unclear to me, and I went to their homepage, maybe I need more coffee... is scam guard a stand alone app, part of their browser extension, incorporated with their malwarebytes app??? First it took me to their enterprise pages, and $$$, then family plans, but unclear what app or how block??

This is a new "in product app" for the paid version. This is also a beta which will be release to the public soon.

 

[anutrix]

I tried to open it to check what is and it seems enabled now. How to disable it?

 

[LinuxFan58]

@simmerskool and @nickstar1
I tried MalwareBytes Browser Guard (MBG) and it also has a SCAM option (see spoiler). The browser guard has some changes:

1. Has been redesigned/refactored for performance
   With Ad blocker disabled it does not noticeably slow down the Speedometer 3.1 benchmark. In the past when I installed MBG it just to halve my benchmark result. When I now fully install it, it reduces my result from 18.8 to 16.1, This is a big improvement! Only uBol, AdGaurd Mv3 and Privacy bagder are faster (slow down the benchmark with 0.1 tot 0,3), but most other AdBlockers slow down Speedometer benchmark with 1 to 3.5 on my Ryzen7 laptop.
2. New documentation and specific privacy policy
   Most security firms have a generic security policy which makes it hard to determine what is kept and for how long. MGB has its own privacy policy and "only" collects device date plus IP and info of blocked webpages (not all webpages you visit). This is as good or bad as Gdata brower extension for instance which is regulated by strict German privacy law.
3. New feature on Windows and Mac to block missed ads
   I found it in the documentation. I am running Linux Mint Xfce so can't tell how good and easy to use this new feature is.

Spoiler: SCAM option