Avast Anti-Theft send SMS to Czech Republic

[Tobias56]

You said ATT tries to send sms until one is successful which is the right way to go IMO. Is the behavior the same for sms that go to the friend number registered ?

[greiam]

I discovered today that Anti-Theft sent four SMS messages to the Czech Republic during the last week. At first, I couldn't figure out what it was. I called my carrier to see what was going on. Then, I realized it must have been an app doing this. I did a Google search and found out that Avast was the recipient.

I now realize this happened because I changed the SIM card on my phone and that the email messages I was getting back were triggered by the SMS messages sent from the device to you. So that's a good thing. Still, it's kind of strange to have a security app generating unexpected charges, however small, on my mobile phone account. You might consider a phone line in countries where you have a lot of users so that this can be avoided. Easy for me to complain like this and ask you to spend money for a service for a free app, I know. The charge is a minor cost if it helps to recover a lost or stolen device.

I'd recommend adding a line to your email messages that indicates the device's location that mentions that SMS charges may be being incurred as a result of messaging from a possibly lost or stolen device. It would be an automated thing that wouldn't cost anyone any time, other than the minor task of programming it in. It would help users to understand what's going on and explain otherwise mysterious charges.

[reinhardholzner]

good idea!

by the way, you can turn off that SMS sending in Anti-Theft (avast! Account settings) if you want.

[pro_metheus]

 
I have the same problem and 3 sms were sent last week for which i was charged
This is now May 2013, so does not seem to have been sorted

I have now deregistered my phone on my avast account, dont seem to be able to reregister it now!!

 

[reinhardholzner]

as i said, you can turn this off.

[cannon_rats]

how to the turn off this

[reinhardholzner]

open anti-theft go to avast! account -> uncheck checkbox

[REDACTED]

We'll we are fuming. Just noticed unbilled charges on our phones and we have 10 international text call charges in the last two days. Googling the number led me here and to a blog from 2012 where others highlighted the same problem and a reply from Avast saying they were working on fixing this bug. Two years later this is still happening and is totally unacceptable and just reminds me of a huge scam. We have now taken Avast off our phones (they don't make that easy neither), off our PCs and will be telling our friends and family to remove Avast as well.

[REDACTED]

Avast Anti Virus triggered somany messages to above said number, for which I got huge International SMS charges from my Telephone service provide. The total amount for last 4 months is Indian Rupees 800 (approximately US$ 14).

Would request everyone, not to install / use Avast Antivirus software in your mobiles till the problem get resolved.

 

[Lisandro]

Avast Anti Virus triggered somany messages to above said number, for which I got huge International SMS charges from my Telephone service provide. The total amount for last 4 months is Indian Rupees 800 (approximately US$ 14).

Would request everyone, not to install / use Avast Antivirus software in your mobiles till the problem get resolved.

 

http://blog.avast.com/2014/07/02/how-to-prevent-unnecessary-costs-of-avast-sms-notifications-when-replacing-your-sim-card/

[REDACTED]

Why can't you just store a secure cache within the smartphone containing a whitelist of preappoved SIM cards and geolocations where NO alarms would be sent ?
This way, no additional cost: we can change the SIM at home in out "secure area": we authenticate us n the application and approve the new SIM from there (which are then stored in a local cache with a strng encryption.

Next time we'll use one of these SIM cards there will be no alarm at all sent to any network. And no need to worry about 2 SMS being sent (each one costing 0.30€) evrytime our phone goes out of battery and is powered on again once recharged.

[REDACTED]

Well this is nice. Two billings ago I noticed one SMS charge to the Czech Republic. $0.20 no big deal.
Next billing cycle there were 4 so now $0.80. On this one I called Sprint. Mentioned it and wanted it blocked but they didn't do it for whatever reason.

This last bill I had 290 SMS messages sent to the Czech Republic! 290!!!! a $58 charge!!!!

      290 International Text Messages - Czech Republic-Incl @ $.20/msg    $58.00

Sprint did remove it from my bill and they blocked the number but WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Why would ANY app EVER send a text message from a phone without asking??? Especially when it costs the end user money!!!!

Now even before the Sprint mess mentioned above another MAJOR issue I had is a month or two ago I had a friends cell added as my "friend" on the web site and the security app installed. I had issues with my phone texting him messages about my SIM card being removed and a security warning about the phone being stolen. I have Sprint, I don't even HAVE a SIM card! I never told the web site my phone was stolen!
MY PHONE WAS NOT STOLEN. No SIM card was removed as I could not do that if I wanted to, it has no removable SIM card!

That mess cost my friend about $35 in charges (which I had to pay him for) as he did not have unlimited texts!

This happened many times and I had issues trying to remove his number from the web site....

I finally figured out what it was and had to re-install Avast to use the uninstall option and UN-installed the security app but the Sprint issue mentioned at the top STILL HAPPENED!!!! So the uninstall may not have worked after all!

Is there a removal tool that will completely remove this crap!!!!

I will NEVER   E V E R   use an Avast product again.....

[REDACTED]

I can confirm that this bug is still out there !!
phones with avast anti-thefts getting charged for SMS to the number 420720001669 !!!!

[REDACTED]

Why would ANY app EVER send a text message from a phone without asking??? Especially when it costs the end user money!!!!

>> You have been asked during installation process and this setting is quite good described in manual, blog and support pages. Also here you can find similar questions..

Now even before the Sprint mess mentioned above another MAJOR issue I had is a month or two ago I had a friends cell added as my "friend" on the web site and the security app installed. I had issues with my phone texting him messages about my SIM card being removed and a security warning about the phone being stolen. I have Sprint, I don't even HAVE a SIM card! I never told the web site my phone was stolen!
MY PHONE WAS NOT STOLEN. No SIM card was removed as I could not do that if I wanted to, it has no removable SIM card!

>> Your vendor provides a SIMless phone to you, which means, that your IMSI is leased from his CDN and can be changed without your consent. Antitheft is exactly watching a SIM card change (IMSI change) - this is its basic feature - so as you set it antitheft provides you an information about IMSI change exactly as it should - it behaves as expected. In case your IMSI is changed very often, please contact your vendor (it can be caused by roaming f.e.). So your device was not stolen, but your SIM card number has been changed and you set you want to be informed about it and you want to know the new IMSI number and your friend will be informed by SMS.

That mess cost my friend about $35 in charges (which I had to pay him for) as he did not have unlimited texts!

This happened many times and I had issues trying to remove his number from the web site....
>> You can do it in the application itself, see "Friends" part.

I finally figured out what it was and had to re-install Avast to use the uninstall option and UN-installed the security app but the Sprint issue mentioned at the top STILL HAPPENED!!!! So the uninstall may not have worked after all!

Is there a removal tool that will completely remove this crap!!!!
>> Yes, it is and it is called (surprisingly) "Avast Anti-Theft removal wizard" and can be found in Avast Mobile Security > Antitheft. Removing Mobile security only does not affect Antitheft.

I will NEVER   E V E R   use an Avast product again.....
>> We are sorry about it, really, but your troubles are not an application mistake.

[REDACTED]

This anti theft feature is clearly a bug as it should be off by default. It cost me more than 20€ for a free application within 20 days, I can't recommend such a mess.
I want my money back!