Reviewed by the Foxmole editorial team · 2026-07-29
Key takeaways
- Phishing was the #1 reported online crime in 2024 (FBI).
- Your browser’s built-in protection misses fast-moving phishing sites.
- A free browser layer adds real, low-effort protection.
Every figure on this page is sourced. Where we recommend a tool, we describe what it actually does, nothing more.
The scale is real, and it’s documented
- The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) recorded phishing/spoofing as the single most-reported cybercrime in 2024, 193,407 complaints, the top complaint category that year. (FBI IC3 2024 report.)
- Total reported losses across all internet crime in 2024 exceeded $16.6 billion, a 33% rise year over year. (FBI IC3 2024 report.)
- The Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) observed roughly 3.8 million phishing attacks across 2025, up slightly from 3.76 million in 2024, a high, steady volume, not a blip. (APWG Phishing Activity Trends Reports, 2025.)
These are counts from law-enforcement and industry reporting bodies, not estimates we made up.
Why your browser alone doesn’t fully cover you
Modern browsers include some malicious-site warnings, but phishing pages are created and discarded fast, many are live for only hours. A dedicated extension checks links against a separately-maintained reputation database, which can flag a known-bad or lookalike site the moment you encounter it, before you type anything in.
What Avast Online Security & Privacy actually does
Per Avast’s own documentation, the free extension:
- Warns you about malicious websites and known phishing pages.
- Lets you check a link’s safety by hovering before you click, and marks safe vs. risky results in your search engine.
- Blocks invasive tracking cookies and unwanted ads.
- Includes a Privacy Advisor to tighten your account privacy settings.
- Works on Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Opera.
(Source: Avast Online Security & Privacy product page and support docs.)
What it does not do, so you’re not misled
- It does not replace antivirus or an operating-system firewall.
- It can’t guarantee protection against a brand-new phishing site not yet in any database.
- It doesn’t make you anonymous.
It’s one useful layer, added in about a minute, at no cost. That’s the honest pitch.
Our take
Given that phishing is the most-reported online crime and a browser-level reputation check is free and low-effort, we think it’s worth installing. Our current pick is Avast Online Security & Privacy.
Sources
- FBI IC3 2024 Internet Crime Report, fbi.gov
- APWG Phishing Activity Trends Reports, apwg.org
- Avast Online Security & Privacy, official product page