Bitdefender has done me major damage now!!!On the evening of May 13, 2025, my cellphone had not been used for many hours and was resting on my desk, plugged in to recharge it. It was much later in the evening when I took the phone into my hands with the intention of retrieving something that was stored on it. However, the screen showed the message "Password required after lockdown." I was puzzled because I had not done any sort of lockdown on it. The only password I had ever used on the phone was my four-digit PIN, but when I entered it, the words "Wrong password" appeared. I had no idea what to do. I tried a few other possibilities that I guessed might work, but it was still "Wrong password" I did see the word "Bitdefender" flash on the screen briefly, so I wondered if it could be some Bitdefender password. I tried them, but they did not work, either. I turned to my cellphone service, to Bitdefender, and to the store that sold the device to me. My cellphone service responded, saying that it was a phone problem, not something connected to their service. The store that sold the device to me has not responded since then 48 hours ago. Bitdefender told me to go into Bitdefender Central to check my account. I did so and saw that there were several notifications. I looked at them and they were all about attempts to log into my device. I saw the blue button "See Intruder," so I clicked there and saw two photos of me. My photos appeared on all of them.I tried to contact Bitdefender via email, only to get notices that the email account was not monitored. I was given a link to access part of their website from which there were many options from which to choose. I had to guess to which one to choose, but I did ultimately get to a link that was to contact Support. I used it and then used a link to send an email to them. I used it and explained my problem.Bitdefender then contacted me and told me to send to them a screenshot so they could examine it. Only one problem: how could I make a screenshot when I could not log into the phone? I wrote them back and told them just that. I had a ticket number assigned to me, so I had to wait... and wait... and wait... etc.I finally wrote to them again to ask what was happening. I received an email that they were working on my problem. Today, May 15, 2025 in the morning, I saw I was getting no help, so again I contacted them. I received a response that gave me some instructions to follow. I have the information saved if needed. Here's what I was told:Please follow these steps carefully:Visit Bitdefender Central and log into your account.Go to My Devices and locate your locked mobile phone.Click on View Details for the affected device.Click on Anti-Theft.Click on Lock device.Then click on the blue text that says “Show last used code.”This will display the last password that was used to lock the device. You can then enter this code on your phone’s lock screen to regain access.Everything was okay until I saw to click on the blue text mentioned. No such text of any color appeared. I saw the box for entering a code, so I clicked on it, and a dropdown displaying two six-digit codes appeared. I felt uncertain, but I tried them, only to have them rejected and saw a note that the code had to be four digits only. My PIN was only four digits, so I wondered if I should try it. I did try it and a message flashed that the device was locked, exactly what I DID NOT WANT!!! I went back to my phone to see if that code would then unlock the device. To my utter horror, now the device is making loud, nasty noises, and I cannot power down the phone nor restart it! I am stuck with an obnoxious, loud, nasty piece of trash!!! The phone is now worse than just junk -- and I have to thank Bitdefender for doing me the "favor" of destroying a new phone!!!I have to say that I had some problems with them prior to this disaster. I have all that story saved, too. I have an entire library of reasons to stay far away from Bitdefender. Now I am without a phone. My income is too low for me to go out buying phones randomly. I am a disabled senior, and now I am truly defenseless if I need help!!!STAY FAR AWAY FROM BITDEFENDER UNLESS YOU ARE INCURABLY MASOCHISTIC!!!*****************************************************UPDATEBitdefender responded to me -- giving me a phone number to call when the phone in question cannot make outgoing calls! I suppose two tin cans and a string will work? Hardly!
