On 3/28 Avast anti-theft locked my phone and set of the “This phone is lost or stolen” alarm (phone sitting on my desk, untouched for at least 30 min prior to alarm). I got a prompt to enter my PIN, which did nothing (PIN is now changed in case this was a security breach). I accessed my avast account via webpage to cancel the alarm and check the device notifications. Notifications indicated that 5 failed sms commands have occured since February. Also, apparently, just before the alarm went off (3/28) my contact list, sms messages, call log, a picture, and an audio file were exported. I am not sure where this informatiom was exported to, because ot was not sent to my “trusted number,” and I did not request the export. Does this mean a stranger remotely requested and reveived my valuable private information?
I immediately emailed support and got a response from Customer Care (Ticket ID: [#765377] ) suggesting I go to the community forum for help because “we can’t seem to find a record of your license in our system.” HOWEVER, I actually DO have a current subscription for Avast Mobile Secirity Pro via Google Play Store. I responded to the email with a confirmation of paid service (PayPal transaction ID, invoice #, and purchase through PlayStore) but still haven’t heard a peep. Not even just to confirm my subscription or a response that someone is looking into my issue.
I’m worried that either my phone or Avast account has been hacked and important personal information has been stolen. Should I be letting contacts know I’ve been hacked? Or worried that some malevolent stranger has my contact list and text messages?
I’m extremely upset that Avast has not provided a timely response re: what happened and how I need to handle this. Am I not receiving the services I paid for (one of which is supposed to be fast customer support)? I have been a paid Avast mobile security customer for several years and 100% believe Avast is #1 in mobile phone security. No security service can be 100% guaranteed breach-proof. I totally understand and accept this. However, why should I continue paying for a service, no matter how good, if I can’t get help when I actually need it?