AnyProtect is supposedly an online backup service from ClickMeIn Ltd. I say “supposedly” because I’m not sure it’s even a real backup service, or just fake software used to trick people into spending money on tech support. Here’s my review of it.
Pros
- It didn’t melt my computer
Cons
- Malware
- Software doesn’t work
- Employees try to upsell tech services to fix fake PC problems
The Bottom Line
AnyProtect Online Backup appears to be a big scam.
AnyProtect is Malware
AnyProtect is classified as malware by a number of websites, such as MalwareTips.com, botcrawl.com, FixYourBrowser.com, ShouldIRemoveIt.com, and MalwareKillers.com. It occasionally comes bundled with free software, so many users don’t know how it ended up on their computer.
Regardless, I still wanted to try it out.
When I installed AnyProtect, I wasn’t able to log into my account using the software. It was odd, because I could log into the website just fine. I called tech support, and the technician I talked to connected to my computer for remote assistance. At this point, I thought he was going to fix the problem with my account. He ran several diagnostic programs (with my permission). He also installed a spyware scanner, saying my free virus scanner was no good.
His spyware scanner then detected AnyProtect as malware. I watched and listened as this hapless employee tried to explain why his company’s software was showing up as malware on my computer, using a program he installed. I grabbed a screenshot of this epic failure:
AnyProtect detected as Malware during a screen sharing session with tech support.
AnyProtect Employees Lie About Computer Problems
As I mentioned, I’m not sure AnyProtect is a real online backup service. I couldn’t get it to work. The reason, as it was explained to me, is because “my computer has problems.” How many problems? A lot, apparently. Here’s what the support tech said he would do:
- will assign me a Microsoft certified technician for repair
- will remove 1000+ errors and warnings from my computer (note: these were from Windows Event logs)
- will remove all threats and viruses from the computer
- will secure the main network so we can protect my other devices as well
- will clean and optimize my computer
- will get my data backed up
- will fix my username and password issue on AnyProtect
Most of these are completely false, by the way. My computer did not have any problems. There were no threats or viruses. I was testing AnyProtect in a sandboxed virtual machine, with no other software installed except for Chrome and Avast.
Even the AnyProtect website uses fake computer scans to convince people to sign up:
AnyProtect fake scan results on their website.
Why do they do it? It appears AnyProtect uses nonexistant computer problems to scare customers into purchasing expensive support services, which brings me to my last point…
AnyProtect is a Giant Upsell
AnyProtect is advertised as a $59.99/year backup service, yet the purchase page shows $19.99. As far as I can tell, this $20 charge actually isn’t related to the product at all. All it gets you is a phone call with a support technician who tries to upsell you a subscription that costs hundreds of dollars per year.
Here’s what the support tech tried to get me to sign up for:
The real cost of AnyProtect.
That’s hundreds of dollars more than the advertised price. It’s a classic bait and switch scam.
Conclusion: Should you use AnyProtect?
The answer is a resounding no. I wouldn’t trust this dishonest company to protect my data, especially when there are so many quality online backup services that don’t do this.
Specifications |
|
| Product Name | AnyProtect |
| Version | |
| Operating Systems | |
| Storage | |
| Monthly Price | |
| Average Upload Speed | |
| Average Download Speed | |
General Features |
|
| Free Trial | null |
| Free Online Storage | |
| Mobile Apps | |
| Bandwidth Controls | null |
| NAS Support | null |
Backup Features |
|
| File Versioning | null |
| Keep Deleted Files | |
| Back Up to Local Drive | null |
Sync and Share Features |
|
| File Sync | |
| Selective Sync | |
| Public File Sharing | null |
| Collaborative Invites | |
Security |
|
| Encrypted Storage | null |
| Encrypted Transfer | null |
| Personal Encryption | null |
| Zero-knowledge Encryption | |
| Two-factor Authentication | |
Support |
|
| Phone Support | null |
| Email Support | null |
| 24/7 Support | null |
| Live Chat | null |
Infrastructure |
|
| Data Center Location(s) | |
Geoff Akerlund
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