CyberDefender
Reviews and Complaints

I am in the same situation, my credit card was randomly charged by cyberdefender, ive never even been sent an email, and ive been living in the same house for 15 years.
I do not know why this happening, and would like to see this resolved, other wise I will call my bank.

If people didn't respond to pop up ads, there would be no pop up ads. This review is like complaining your hand hurts each time you hit it with a hammer. Enjoy your free scan.

http://www.la.bbb.org/business-reviews/Computer-Software-Services/CyberDefender-in-Los-Angeles-CA-13196224
If everyone with these problems would please go to the Better Business Bureau link above and file a complaint, then people like me would be able to check them out BEFORE getting stuck with this software and company. I checked for the MyClean PC that we purchased the Cyber Defender through but got good reviews. (Actually, CyberDefender has a good rating also!) Then, when my husband was having problems and the program was never turning up any problems with my computer (fixed or otherwise) I was getting suspicious. Now, I wish I had known about this complaint site.

Not surprised. These guys are a joke. Offer the worse service after hard selling customers.

I recently dealt with this company only to run into the same issues. When they performed their "fix" on my computer it would no longer stay on for more then 5 minutes at a time. It even ran slower then it did before they performed their service on it. For a company commercial called DoubleMySpeed, I found it laughable. When I called tech support to check my status no one could give me a straight answer and was continously told a tech would get back to me in 24 hours, which never happened. I finally found someone that looked at and fixed my computer for free only putting me out the $130 they charged me (I know its still a lot but could have been much worse). That person told me the only thing wrong with my computer was the backdoor software they installed nearly destroyed my hard drive and almost everything else. NEVER USE THEM

Here is another one: I tried to buy the one year subscription after running their free diagnosis scan. Fortunately my CC info was not accepted and I called Customer Support. The technician, assuming I knew little about computers talked me thru the opening of the task mgr. He said: OK, how many processes are running? OK, 89. Now how many apps do you see in the tray that are running? OK, 4. That means that 89 minus 4 is 84 (sic) which means that you have 84 applications put on by hackers who are stealing your identity without your knowledge and even your virus software won't show it. The only way to get rid of it is to have a skilled technician go through your computer. We can do that remotely and in fact do it for the troops in Afghanistan and Iraq who can't just run down to the local computer store...and on and on and on. Until I said no thanks. He really sounded pissed that I let him talk for five minutes all the time, enjoying the yarn that he was spinning. Don't buy it. Reformat your hard drive. It takes a little time but its free and it's easy.

Granted, sometimes callers will get different actions, and mine is probably in the minority, but I noticed a charge on my credit card in June, 2010. I just noticed it today when I was scanning statements into my computer to allow less paper in my file cabinet. I called CyberDefender's number, and they admitted they charged my card on 6/25, but if I looked farther, I'd see a credit for the same amount on 6/26. Both operators were very polite. I had had the service in 2006 but never renewed it. The supervisor said he'd personally cancel my account so I'd never get charged again. So my experience was much better. I use AVG and CC Cleaner exclusively these days, and both work well.

Some of my customers have fallen for Cyber Defender's Ruse - through the TV commercials about cleaning your PC. NOTHING on your computer can be ADEQUATELY cleaned from any ONLINE service! They just charged one of my customers who happens to be handicapped, $397 (Three HUNDRED and 97 DOLLARS) to INFECT her computer with their crap! In fact, she had the "Your computer is infected" pop-up that encourages people to "click here" to fix, only to more deeply infect the computer if you don't fall for their RUSE. I hope my complaint on her behalf to the BBB gets them some attention from the law! This lady spent her rent rebate for a WORTHLESS program.

I have just lost an entire business day to these jokers, and not only is my PC in a WORSE shape than before but they wont fix issues they have caused having deleted stuff off my PC, and then I was accused of cancelling an online session after I had been shoved from one technician to another for almost an hour, and getting fed-up wating I cancelled. The the guy informed me as I had already had work done I was only eligible for a partial (i.e minimal) refund. these guys REALLY SUCK!

Around July of last year I found a charge of $64.97 on my credit statement from Cyberdefender. I called Sears and was told there was an automatic renewal. I got in contact with Cyberdefender and talked to a woman. She said she would cancel my account and send me some rebate forms. I sent the forms in. Nothing. I really didn't expect to. At this point I'm out nearly $65 and I didn't get the product. I will be canceling my subscription my mail and contacting the BBB.

I paid Cyber Defender $405.95 for 3 years of support. I have tried to get a very simple problem solved. I've spent days being transferred from person to person only to be disconnected with absolutely no resolution to my simple problem. I've also tried to get a refund of my money since all Cyber Defender has been able to do is transfer me from person to person and then disconnect me. This is the most incompetent Company I have ever dealt with. If there is anyone out there that has gotten satisfaction from C.D. please contact me. nansee43@comcast.net. I love to know what you did to get any kind of satisfaction. Sincerely, Frustrated in Illinois.

Dealing with CyberDefender was a nightmare. If I actually get the refund I've requested, the nightmare will have lasted several weeks. Please, please, stay away from this company!

They tried three times to work on my PC to no avail. My link kept failing but after many calls and emails they have not refunded my money $129.89...they even told me I would have to pay them that sum two more times and it would be taken from my credit card.

My name is darrin kline I stopped using your product years ago. I called last January and they said they would credit my credit card back and cancel my subscription now I see I have another charge on my account this year. Please cancel my subscription and credit my credit card back

Huge rip off and waste of my time! Iam now out almost 700 dollars and my pc only works in safe mode! dont do it!

A NASTY Trojan virus... Very difficult to uninstall!

First I was overcharged on my credit card, should have been 39.95 was charged 54.95...Then they do an "analysis" and tell me i need to have their tech dept fix the computer for $224.

I said no, but they downloaded malicious trojan horse soft ware, which still has my computer in a bind, (microsoft security essential, full scan helped clean the mess up.)

Do not do business with these ###.

I saw Cyber Defenders ad on TV and called and they ran a check on my PC found lots of errors so I bought their product. Six months later my PC mother board crashed and I called Cyber Defenders tech support after an hour on phone they said they couldn't fix problem. I ended up buying new PC different brand and cyber defender transferred to that one. Three months later same-thing happened to new PC I called Cyber Defender and after two days on phone and them fixing my PC I called the company i got my laptop from and since I was under warranty they had me send in my laptop ended up replacing my mother board and told me my virus protection didn't protect my computer at all. I called Cyber Defender they said no problem they will refund my money . They refunded to a closed account and I can't get them to send me my refund to my new account since old account gave them the check back. I have been on the phone with them for over a month now and turned them in to BBB

Now for my portion.

CYCSR Nancy, yours is the only company that I've seen that will let a user download a "detection" tool and then force the user to pay to fix their computer, and if they don't, it leaves their computer worse than it started. All the complaints follow a pattern here, one that you are failing to see. Nobody has agreed with any of your claims. Multiple times, others have proven you wrong, and you've tried to go on acting as if it never happened. Another thing that astonishes me is how you ignore what people point out or say and then go on to answer the wrong question. You answer questions that weren't ever asked, and your answers are more than a little paranoid and monotonous. It's like this:
You: "As a tech-minded customer support representative, I must mention that our customer support is willing to help you. Also, I must add that our software is amazing and everyone here simply must buy it."
User1: "You're wrong. Here's the evidence. It said my out of the box, clean install of Windows 7 had 30-something viruses." *mentions VIRUSES*
You: "We're sorry you have trouble, but all computers come with *registry* errors. Did I forget to mention our customer support? Also, I must add that our software is amazing and everyone here simply must buy it." *mentions REGISTRY ERRORS, which weren't brought up*

Time to pass the torch onto yet another "representative" who is "tech-minded". Note that you are the second one I've dealt with on these boards. The first one I entirely destroyed.

On another complaint that I follow, Darth Poptart wrote:

As much as there has been comments from over a year ago, I just had such an urge to comment on this as well. Keep in mind, this is coming from a Tech student working with Computer Systems that is taught under a teacher who has done troubleshooting and virus removal for over 10 YEARS and has seen it all.

First of all, and the most IMPORTANT thing to do, is NEVER do is go on ahead and download/purchase any program that is suppose to protect your computer without looking over numerous reviews in case that program is a scam. This just might save you money and even information.

Second, there is nothing that pinpoints a slow computer to just viruses, especially those in the registry. There could be numerous other reasons why it is going slow, and it may be even a reason that is easy to fix without spending money. In the case where you want a registry cleaner, try CCleaner. It helps you free up space on your computer taken up by temporary files from your internet browser, and it helps clean the registry of errors and unused registry items in there. You don't even have to pay for the product to remove the issues from the computer because it is free and even more so, it allows you to back up your registry so you can reverse any changes made with the program just as CyberDefender's programs can "apparently" do.

For virus protection/prevention, this is where you must do your research. There is always the risk of personal information being exposed if you purchase that one wrong program, such as Vista Internet Security 2011, which IS a rouge trojan acting like an anti-virus. Programs such as AVG and Comodo let you download the program for free with basic, but highly customizable settings, for virus protection and a reliable firewall. You would have superior protection if you purchased the program, but never has AVG or Comodo urged you to buy the program as much as MyCleanPC has

So there is many other ways to free up space on your computer, increase the performance on your computer, and not risk your information FOR FREE. Keep in mind, the best way to get the best protection is to buy an anti-virus program, but make sure you TRY IT OUT AND DO YOUR RESEARCH.

And to Nancy, the page, specifically the MyCleanPC page, is very misleading and unreliable. I had to do a deep search on CNET just to find your review page, since the MyCleanPC failed to redirect me to the page (you click on the CNET image, and you are instead redirected back to the front page of MyCleanPC). Second, why are there no updates for this program. Are you telling me that this one program is that perfect that it will never need updates? Wrong. Very wrong. Even CCleaner needs constant updates to perform at it's best and every anti-virus that actually works needs updates constantly too. And if I am wrong, where is there anything on any page on your website that informs you of new updates for the program? Where are the details about your program besides how to buy it? You say that you use the information you collect in order to improve your service to your customers, but how come there has been no improvement since you released it over 2 years ago?

How about an even bigger question, Nancy. What makes your company's programs better than CCleaner? How about Comodo, Malwarebytes, or AVG? Why is it that the first thing that people think of when they hear your company name is "Virus" or "Rouge Anti-Virus"? Your site and how it is set up can't even compare to Piriform's (CCleaner's company) home page, which is absolutely user-friendly and better to work with.

So to those who have issues with CyberDefender and their products, there are better options out there. Don't fall for their spam when you can consider other programs to use that have no risk involved. DO YOUR RESEARCH. IT WILL NEVER HURT YOU. I don't know how many times I have to say this, but seriously, anything you look up in Google or Bing nowadays will give you pages of other people who are finding that this program IS NOT AS GOOD AS OTHER BETTER PROGRAMS OUT THERE.

I just returned from one of my client's office who had installed Cybre Defender on five computers (without my advice). When I arrived none of the 5 computers could go online one failed to boot and one was hung. I was told that Cyber Defender techs had worked worked on one to the computers remotely and had not resolved any issues yesterday. I was also told that the companies account had been triple billed for the product. This sounds pretty much like the other complaints that I have been reading. Yes, I am a IT pro. There are a lot scam artist out there.

Hello NormanBates,

While we at CyberDefender appreciate your philanthropist mentality and apparent desire to help others in need, I felt it was prudent to address your points, which unfortunately are a tad misguided.

To begin, and as I mentioned to SJR2, any who have downloaded our Early Detection Center Internet-Security Suite may visit http://www.cyberdefender.com/remove to find instructions on how to remove the software. There are a couple factors which might hinder this process, a prevalent one being when a consumer attempts to manually uninstall the product by simply deleting files, and not following Microsoft Windows program uninstall directions (via "Control Panel>Add or Remove Programs"). Unless experienced, these individuals will likely not erase all traces of the downloaded software. However, it is rather elementary to assume only CyberDefender software can cause the aforementioned issue; for it is a universal issue within Windows. Such is why they design their Operating System to include the "Add or Remove Programs" feature.

Another potential cause for difficulties in removal of CyberDefender software is that an individual has in fact not downloaded and installed CyberDefender software at all; rather they have downloaded unwittingly a similarly-named program which is designed to mimic our own product as part of a "rogue anti-virus" scheme (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogue_antivirus).

Also as previously stated, our anti-virus Services are free. It must be remembered however, that while all viruses are malware, not all instances of malware are viruses. While Early Detection Center 3.0 can scan, identify, and remove detected viruses free of charge, other categories of malware (such as spyware) require the fully Licensed version to be removed. If one is not able to remove malicious items in an Early Detection Center scan, there's a good chance that the malicious item discovered wasn't a virus, but some other form of malware. I'd encourage individuals to review the Scan Results to determine the exact definition and nature of a given detected item.

Moving on, I would recommend personally that NO individuals experiencing such a minor problem as being unable to install a program take such drastic measures as seeking 3rd party "geek" repairs, as you had referenced. Often times, simply re-installing the software will allow it to be removed properly (through "Add or Remove Programs" in the Control Panel).

We see you also talked to "a Symantec guy" access your computer to remove the software for $75.00. We would not have suggested this. The methods posted on http://www.cyberdefender.com/remove should be followed exactly, as they are adequate for standard removal. This nine out of ten times proves successful, save that small minority which either experienced the previously stated manual removal issue, or others which have another PC-related issue which prove detrimental to the uninstall process. Secondly, there are software products available for free online which are designed to remove programs should the standard removal process. Google searches often yield helpful and positive results when seeking information. We are glad, however, that the Symantec technician was able to help you, as it only affirms our company's choice to bring aboard our Senior Vice President of Product Development. She is the former Vice President of Product Management for Symantec, having overseen the development of Norton AntiVirus, Norton SystemWorks, Norton Internet Security, and N360. Moreover, our Senior Vice President of Engineering and Threat Research also served at Symantec as Senior Software Designer, developing such products as Norton Utilities, Norton Commander, and Norton Desktop. He also functioned as Director Product Development for Earthlink, Inc.

All considered, I must disagree with your assessment that "these guys ought to be in jail." Our products are certified by several independent testing labs. Our staff has a severely proven track-record in the field of Internet-Security and technology. Our "guys" include individuals who were crucial in the development of Symantec, the very company you attest repaired your computer, and perhaps even the very anti-virus software you currently utilize. Jail is not where they belong, but right where they are, as pivotal members of a continually expanding and improving organization, designing products which will help protect people like you.

Thank you,
Nancy L. - Agent 1775
The CyberDefender Team

Dear SJR2,

Thank you for your feedback. On behalf of CyberDefender, I'd like to apologize for any difficulties you may have experienced in removing our software.

Firstly, I recommend you visit http://www.cyberdefender.com/remove.

There you can find instructions on how to remove CyberDefender products. But please, do not think that we do not wish to assist you. That is the very reason I am responding to your issue.

Regarding your reported "pop-up, " it's difficult to identify the source of the pop-up based on the information provided. Our Early Detection Center Internet-Security Suite will launch pop-ups for many reasons, including reminders to Activate the product, notifications that Windows Updates are available, etc. They should certainly be removable. Can you please inform me as to what text is included in this pop-up window?

Please feel free to reply back here with your response, or contact our ever-expanding Customer Relations Call Center Monday-Friday 6 AM - 10 PM PST and Saturday-Sunday 6 AM - 6 PM PST, toll-free at [protected]. You can also email us at support@cyberdefender.com. Should you decide to email us, please reference "ComplaintsBoard post c391160" somewhere within the subject or body of the message to ensure expedited routing.

Thank you,
Nancy L. - Agent 1775
The CyberDefender Team

Dear Don't Get Fooled,

This is CyberDefender customer service responding to your request.

For future reference, it would be far easier for you to obtain assistance from our company by directly contacting our customer service department, rather than by posting a complaint on a website unaffiliated with our company. We would be glad to assist you in sorting out any difficulty with your account, but we cannot locate your account based on your complaintsboard.com online name.

At any time, any dissatisfied customer can contact our corporate headquarters at [protected], or email us at supportATcyberdefender.com, and please be sure to give us your full name, date of purchase, and the email address you used when you made your purchase. We will be happy to assist you.

The reason our technicians ask for you to leave your computer on and just leave it alone during a remote session is because a customer can inadvertently change or block a technician's work if the customer is using the computer at the same time as the remote repair session. Think of it this way -- would it be possible to take your car on a road trip and have a mechanic is change its oil at the same time? Our technicians must have full access to your computer, with no data being changed by another user, in order to repair it.

Also, simply because you cannot see the technician working does not mean that the technician isn't working. For example, if the tech is removing a rogue antivirus from your computer, that tech will be working at the level of your program files, probably using a command line interface, so you will most likely not be able to see the work being done just by looking at the screen. Much of our technicians' work goes on "behind the scenes" of what is readily apparent on your computer's screen, which is why you oftentimes won't be able to see it.

Please do not hesitate to contact us directly at [protected] if you require any further assistance.

Thank you,
CyberDefender Customer Service

Dear pissedoffandreadytorage,

Paypal can't have attempted to bill you for our service, as we do not accept Paypal as a form of payment. If Paypal attempted to bill you, it did not come from our company, as again, we do not and have never accepted Paypal as a form of payment.

For future reference, it would be far easier for you to obtain a refund from our company by directly contacting our company's customer service, rather than by posting a complaint on a website unaffiliated with our company.

If you are in fact a CyberDefender customer and were billed $29.99 for an autorenewal, then when you first subscribed to CyberDefender's computer security software, you authorized and agreed to our Terms of Service and EULA (End User License Agreement). She can reference our Terms of Service by visiting http://www.CyberDefender.com/terms.html. CyberDefender notifies all customers by e-mail regarding the subscription renewal process a full week in advance prior to renewing them. The e-mail reminder offers customers the ability to cancel or opt-out from our database. Customers that do not respond are then billed accordingly.

Auto-renewal of customer subscriptions is standard industry practice in the antivirus software business, largely because a gap in the customer's service will leave the customer's computer unprotected, and also because of the software engineering problem of somehow re-activating a customer's account once it has expired and been deactivated.

We would be glad to assist you in sorting out any difficulty with your accounts including issuing you a refund, but we cannot locate your accounts based on your complaintsboard.com online name. At any time, any dissatisfied customer can contact our corporate headquarters at [protected], or email us at supportATcyberdefender.com, and please be sure to give us your full name, date of purchase, and the email address you used when you made your purchase. We will be happy to assist you.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you require any further assistance.

Thank you,
CyberDefender Customer Service

I don't know how I got on cyberdefenders purchase list, but I found a 29.99 "attempted" charge to my debit card. Luckly, there WASN'T enough money in there for the transaction to go through. So I do not have a purchase number. I don't even have the cyberdefender program on my computer. The question lies then, how did they get my paypal debit information to attempt a charge. These complaints make it seem like calling customer service won't do any good. People are making the call and not And since I never gave them my debit card number to begin with, I am worried they may keep trying to charge me later... This is bogus, and seemingly tied into these phishing scams and so on.

Cyberdefender, you suck. SCAMMERS!

I refuse to call your customer service, instead I will contact Paypal customer service and demand they do not accept any charges from your bunk operation!

Dear Just Sick and Tired and JJJENSEN4087,

Thank you for contacting CyberDefender's customer service.

For future reference, it would be far easier for you to obtain a refund from our company by directly contacting our company's customer service, rather than by posting a complaint on a website unaffiliated with our company. We would be glad to assist you in sorting out any difficulty with your accounts, but we cannot locate your accounts based on your complaintsboard.com online names.
At any time, any dissatisfied customer can contact our corporate headquarters at [protected], or email us at supportATcyberdefender.com, and please be sure to give us your full name, date of purchase, and the email address you used when you made your purchase. We will be happy to assist you.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you require any further assistance.

Thank you,
CyberDefender Customer Service

A similar issue happened with me...I called to order the cyberdefender basic 69.00 package. I gave the guy my debit card number and then he proceeded to try and sell me the upgraded 129.00 package. I realized this whole thing was going to be a huge problem and was going to try to suck every penny out of me, so I explained to the guy that I honestly dont want either service at this point. After about 20 minutes of NO THANK YOU's and MAYBE NEXT TIME's, he assured me I would not be billed. A few days later I realized I was not only billed for the 69.00 package, but I was also billed for the 129.00 package! I called the customer service and explained what had happened and that I have never activated any services or utilized anything dealing with them. The service rep explained that he would review my account and call me back to let me know what they will do and if they will refund the money. It has now been over a month ( July 8th) and still no call. They did however refund me the 69.00 but NOT the 129.00! So today I called and the service rep tried to claim that I had recieved services and the previous rep had accessed my computer to do maintinance. IMPOSSIBLE! I never activated ANY service and I didnt even have my computer on when I called to order the services! I got the number from a commercial! SO once again the service rep tells me that he will have to review my account and my phone call to see if I even qualify for a refund! This is complete BS! it has been almost two months and they still continue to give me the run around. Fortunately, myself and my wife are in the military so we can spread the word about this Cyber Scam...but it is still amazing how these people can just take you for your money and not think twice about it!

They did the same to me for 84.95. I even called them on the telephone to cancel order. They said email would contain confirmation. What email? The email they didn't send. Further, I called to cancel order because their online order process is scheming in the manner which it is setup. Finally, a reputable company would not automatically select radio buttons, they would not try to force their software/hijack your computer/time, and lastly they would cancel your order after you no longer authorized such.

Dear George Pratt,

Thank you for contacting CyberDefender's customer service.

For future reference, it would be far easier for you to obtain a refund from our company by directly contacting our company's customer service, rather than by posting a complaint on a website unaffiliated with our company. At any time, any dissatisfied customer can contact our corporate headquarters at [protected], or email us at supportATcyberdefender.com, and please be sure to give us your full name, date of purchase, and the email address you used when you made your purchase. We will be happy to assist you.

Our records show that two refunds in the amounts of $39.98 and $39.98 were issued today. Refunds can sometimes take 1-2 billing cycles, depending on the issuing bank, before they appear on your credit card statement.

Regarding the status of your refund, the funds have been released on our end. You will want to contact the customer service department of your financial institution to inquire as to when it will appear on your statement.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you require any further assistance.

Thank you,
CyberDefender Customer Service