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Jasmeet_87
9th April, 2009, 10:43 AM
A fraudster is starting a two-year jail sentence today after being found guilty of a set-top box scam which could have cost a satellite firm millions.
Paul Boswell who ran a company called WhatYou See is What You Get was arrested in March last year when police and Virgin Media investigators attended a Wigan Computer Fair.

Virgin Media's security department had been investigating him since the summer of 2006 after learning he was selling the illegally modified boxes at the event at Robin Park.

Jailing Boswell, 57, of Leighton Drive, Leigh, Judge Henry Globe, QC, the Recorder of Liverpool, said, "These are serious offences. Anybody who commits offences of this nature is compromising the integrity of the cable network system. The scale of your offending is very large."

He said it involved huge expenditure by the companies who have to employ specialist investigators to try and stop such criminal activities.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that it was claimed that the loss to Virgin Media could have been in the region of ?2m.
Judge Globe said it was difficult to be precise but the loss would certainly have been many hundreds of thousands.

Boswell pleaded guilty to selling unauthorised decoders, after the court heard he had made ?360,000 profit from his illegal operation.
Ari Alibhai, prosecuting, told the court that the offending spanned 22 months and involved Boswell selling set top cable boxes modified with software to enable encrypted television channels to be received.

He said that such fraud deprives the cable industry of millions of pounds a year and causes legitimate subscribers to incure higher monthly charges to meet the costs of policing and protecting the network.

The set top boxes enable viewers to receive about 150 channels and instructions stated "remember you bought it to specifically steal TV channels". If they had been bought legitimately the premium package would cost ?20.

When Boswell's home was searched officers found 38 set top boxes, almost ?3,000 cash and computer equipment. A further 126 set top boxes were found in the garage.

Raymond Herman, defending, said that Boswell, a father of four and grandfather of 11, had never been in trouble before. He had retired as managing director of a metal finishing manufacturer through ill health.

In 2003 he decided to started selling computer related parts. People kept asking if he sold set top boxes and this led to him setting up the business.
"He has handed over his savings of ?120,000 and is ashamed and humiliated."

Police Neighbourhood Inspector Peter Clarke said: "This was a highly successful operation and Pemberton police are pleased to have been able to work in partnership with Virgin Media to target people illegally benefiting from the proceeds of crime.

"I would urge the public to be aware that using set-top boxes that have been illegally modified to receive digital TV subscription channels for free are committing a serious criminal offence.
"Officers are continuing inquiries. Anyone receiving channels that should be paid for is at risk of being prosecuted."

Malcolm Davies, Virgin Media's head of fraud and security said: "We take this matter extremely seriously and will continue to work closely with all the police forces throughout the UK to prosecute individuals connected with this type of TV fraud."

Set top box cheat jailed - Wigan Today (http://www.wigantoday.net/wigannews/Set-top-box-cheat-jailed.5157239.jp)

jfish
9th April, 2009, 01:35 PM
"I would urge the public to be aware that using set-top boxes that have been illegally modified to receive digital TV subscription channels for free are committing a serious criminal offence."Officers are continuing inquiries. Anyone receiving channels that should be paid for is at risk of being prosecuted."



maybe the police may want to speak to NDS about the way they cracked Kudleski's Nagra encryption :proud:

alunfennell
10th April, 2009, 01:24 AM
This Hobby as I like to call it has been going on for over 20 years, and its only now some people are been brought before the courts, why is that ?

Because all of a sudden companys like Virmin etc see that there Encryption there using is crap and substandard, it would be more in keeping that these comanys tackel the Encryption companys for selling them a Product like nagra 1 & 2 knowing that they were are hacked across the globe even before they started using them.

Why would you continue to use something thats broken ! If these cable companys are stupid enough to continue to use Hacked Encryption systems it nobody fault but there own if people like us use the freely avaiable codes to open channels.

I do of course condone commericial hacking and the greed some people have of making money out of whats supposed to be a hobby as is the case with most of us fourm members.

Regards:
Alun.

gmb45
28th April, 2009, 10:00 AM
A fraudster is starting a two-year jail sentence today after being found guilty of a set-top box scam which could have cost a satellite firm millions.
Paul Boswell who ran a company called WhatYou See is What You Get was arrested in March last year when police and Virgin Media investigators attended a Wigan Computer Fair.

Virgin Media's security department had been investigating him since the summer of 2006 after learning he was selling the illegally modified boxes at the event at Robin Park.

Jailing Boswell, 57, of Leighton Drive, Leigh, Judge Henry Globe, QC, the Recorder of Liverpool, said, "These are serious offences. Anybody who commits offences of this nature is compromising the integrity of the cable network system. The scale of your offending is very large."

He said it involved huge expenditure by the companies who have to employ specialist investigators to try and stop such criminal activities.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that it was claimed that the loss to Virgin Media could have been in the region of ?2m.
Judge Globe said it was difficult to be precise but the loss would certainly have been many hundreds of thousands.

Boswell pleaded guilty to selling unauthorised decoders, after the court heard he had made ?360,000 profit from his illegal operation.
Ari Alibhai, prosecuting, told the court that the offending spanned 22 months and involved Boswell selling set top cable boxes modified with software to enable encrypted television channels to be received.

He said that such fraud deprives the cable industry of millions of pounds a year and causes legitimate subscribers to incure higher monthly charges to meet the costs of policing and protecting the network.

The set top boxes enable viewers to receive about 150 channels and instructions stated "remember you bought it to specifically steal TV channels". If they had been bought legitimately the premium package would cost ?20.

When Boswell's home was searched officers found 38 set top boxes, almost ?3,000 cash and computer equipment. A further 126 set top boxes were found in the garage.

Raymond Herman, defending, said that Boswell, a father of four and grandfather of 11, had never been in trouble before. He had retired as managing director of a metal finishing manufacturer through ill health.

In 2003 he decided to started selling computer related parts. People kept asking if he sold set top boxes and this led to him setting up the business.
"He has handed over his savings of ?120,000 and is ashamed and humiliated."

Police Neighbourhood Inspector Peter Clarke said: "This was a highly successful operation and Pemberton police are pleased to have been able to work in partnership with Virgin Media to target people illegally benefiting from the proceeds of crime.

"I would urge the public to be aware that using set-top boxes that have been illegally modified to receive digital TV subscription channels for free are committing a serious criminal offence.
"Officers are continuing inquiries. Anyone receiving channels that should be paid for is at risk of being prosecuted."

Malcolm Davies, Virgin Media's head of fraud and security said: "We take this matter extremely seriously and will continue to work closely with all the police forces throughout the UK to prosecute individuals connected with this type of TV fraud."

Set top box cheat jailed - Wigan Today (http://www.wigantoday.net/wigannews/Set-top-box-cheat-jailed.5157239.jp) ahh poor vm losing a few quid, but what a tw-t he was for selling them modded.