spyware being installed on mobile sim cards

I had a net ten mobile android zte merit and some one put spyware or malware on my phone. They put it on by only having my phone number I downloaded avast antivirus from Google play and it could not detect the software and. I know that spyware was on my phone because they would remotely turn my phone on and off and they would be able to remotely put my phone into air plane mode and read text messages listen to phone calls. My question is is there some kind of Sim card security that I can use to prevent this from happening. I called the cell phone provider and they said that a sim card lock would prevent spyware from being installed through my mobile number and sim. Then they gave me a different number to call and set up my sim card lock. I called the new number to do so and they acted like it was in possible to put spyware in through a phone number or through sim card. So please help.