Bitdefender has launched Web Sage, a browser extension designed to help consumers identify and avoid online scams as online advertising and fake retail sites become a common route for fraud.
The extension is available for Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Firefox, Safari and Brave. It is designed to flag suspicious search results, online stores, advertisements and banking pages before users click through or enter payment details. The tool also explains in plain language why a page may be risky and suggests what users should do next.
The launch reflects a shift in consumer cyber risk away from malicious email attachments and towards scams embedded in everyday web browsing. These include sponsored search listings, cloned checkout pages and spoofed login screens made to resemble legitimate sites.
Bitdefender cited a survey of 7,000 consumers worldwide that found one in seven had fallen victim to an online scam in the past 12 months, with 21% of those cases beginning through an online advertisement.
Two tiers
Web Sage is available in two versions. A free standard tier, available with a Bitdefender account, includes malicious page blocking, search advice and privacy warnings.
A paid premium tier adds further analysis of web pages and content, including checks on domains, URLs and scripts. It is also bundled with Bitdefender's Total Security, Premium Security and Ultimate Security subscriptions.
The product replaces and expands on Bitdefender's TrafficLight browser extension. Existing TrafficLight users will keep the underlying protections while gaining access to additional tools focused on scam and fraud detection.
Browser focus
Bitdefender cast the browser as the main battleground for consumer fraud, with criminal groups using artificial intelligence to create more convincing fake pages and advertisements. Rather than relying only on traditional lists of known bad websites, the extension also assesses page behaviour and content in an effort to catch newer scams.
The approach is intended to address a growing problem for shoppers and banking customers, who increasingly encounter fraudulent pages that can look almost identical to the genuine version. Fake storefronts, impersonation attacks and fraudulent finance sites have all become harder for users to identify at a glance.
Bitdefender said the tool runs in the background, requires no complicated setup and has no noticeable effect on system performance.
Ciprian Istrate, Senior Vice President of Operations, Consumer Solutions Group at Bitdefender, said the growth of AI-assisted fraud had changed the way online threats reach consumers.
"AI is helping cybercriminals build convincing scams and run fraud operations at scale, making the browser the front line of consumer security," Istrate said. "A fake store or cloned banking page can now be nearly impossible to tell apart from the real thing, and a vague warning does little to help make informed decisions. Bitdefender Web Sage acts as a trusted companion, showing users in simple language why a page or link is dangerous and how to respond. The result is a safer, smarter way to browse."
The launch comes at a time when shopping activity typically rises and consumers are more likely to click on discount offers, sponsored listings and unfamiliar retail websites. Security vendors have increasingly focused on browser-based warnings as scammers move from traditional malware delivery to social engineering and payment fraud.
Web Sage's shopping and ad-related checks are intended to identify suspicious retailers before a purchase is completed, while its financial fraud protections are meant to flag fake banking portals and fraudulent investment pages. Search-related warnings are designed to alert users to risky destinations before they open them.
The extension is available now as a standalone download and forms part of a broader effort to adapt consumer security products to fraud tactics shaped by artificial intelligence.