Author Topic: Avast sending expensive SMS for SIM change WHILE IN REALITY THERE IS NO CHANGE  (Read 3245 times)

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When I was visiting Japan (from Europe), Avast has detected several SIM card changes... while in reality I NEVER CHANGED MY SIM CARD.
The SIM card stayed in my phone the whole time. NO CHANGE AT ALL.
I restarted my phone a couple of times. Perhaps that triggered it. It turned out to be very expensive restarts.
The phone sent in total 38 SMS messages, to the Avast server and to my friend's phone, costing me over 25 Euro. My friend never received any SMS messages. I got charged anyway. Wasted money.

WHY IS AVAST SENDING SIM CHANGE NOTIFICATIONS WHILE THERE IS NO SIM CHANGE?

I found similar messages in this forum, but no response at all from Avast. Very disappointing. And expensive.
I'm getting rid of Avast and changing to PREY.

Offline Eddy

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REDACTED

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The topic you are referring to, to "easily prevent it" is about REPLACING YOUR SIM CARD

Like I said: I DID NOT CHANGE MY SIM CARD.

Is it that hard to read?

Offline Eddy

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Read the entire article.
It also tells how to prevent sending the SMS's to avast.

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  • Guest
The point is: Avast detects a SIM card change while there is no change.

If there is a SIM change, I have no problem with Avast sending SMS messages to catch the thief. I don't want to prevent Avast sending SMS's when necessary. But it does so when not necessary.

Avast sent lots of SMS messages on 4 different days when I was abroad. It also sent me email notifications with old IMSI and new IMSI numbers, with old phone number and new phone number. While there was no change of IMSI or phone number. The SIM never left my phone.

So please stop telling me how to de-activate the SMS setting. Avast should tell me why it detects a SIM card change while there is no change and Avast should fix this bug.
In the meantime I've disabled Avast anti theft.

Offline Asyn

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REDACTED

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I contacted support. They confirmed that "in some rare cases" Avast Anti-Theft thinks there's a SIM card change when actually there isn't, and it happens when the phone connects to a roaming network.

Then I ask this question:
Don't you think it's fair to tell your Avast Anti Theft users that they might pay high SMS charges when using their phone abroad? And get SIM change alerts while there is no SIM change?

No answer. I've repeated the question, but Avast just doesn't answer. They just keep on repeating the technical explanation.

If they had told me in advance, it would've saved me over 25 euro in useless and expensive SMS messages. But apparently Avast doesn't think it's necessary to tell this to their users.

 :(