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I receive cable but have never been billed for it. Could I be doing something illegal?
You are doing something illegal. There are two kinds of cable theft: active and passive. Active theft is when a person knowingly makes an illegal connection to the cable system or tampers with the equipment in order to obtain unauthorized services. For example, cutting into your neighbor's cable to get free service is theft. Passive theft is when a customer knowingly receives free services due to the unlawful connection of a previous homeowner. Even though passive theft is the result of an illegal pat action, if you don't report it and receive the free service, it's still a crime.
What if I receive unsolicited e-mails prompting me to buy a descrambler?
Those messages can be forwarded to your cable company for action. If you receive such messages, you can forward them to starstream@starstream.net
Why should I worry about cable theft if I'm not committing any crimes?
Cable companies, tackle the costs of inflation, rising programming fees, local franchise fees and other costs to keep quality cable television service affordable for everyone. It's the same situation as shoplifting. Just as retail stores must adjust their prices to cover the losses from shoplifting, cable rates must be adjusted to cover the cost of signal theft, not to mention the cost associated with criminal investigation and prosecution. For this reason, it's in everyone's best interest to support measures that eliminate cable theft. Here are some points to consider:
- According to the National Cable Television Association's cable piracy survey, the industry loses an estimated $5.1 billion in unrealized revenue every year. This lost revenue results in higher prices to authorized customers
- Most of the equipment used by cable pirates isn't built to system specifications, thus making it likely that the frequency will leak into those reserved for aeronautical and emergency communications, producing potential safety hazards. The equipment used by pirates also degrades the picture quality for authorized customers.
- Sentences in state and federal theft of service cases have ranged from probation to 16 years in prison with fines ranging from several hundred dollars to $2.7 million. Civil judgments have run as high as $245 million.
- Cable companies pay local authorities franchise fees based on revenues that are used for public service projects such as road repairs or public employee salaries. The lost revenue resulting from cable theft diminishes the payments received by local authorities for these projects.
Types of Theft: Passive Theft
Passive theft occurs when someone moves into a new residence or business facility, notices that the premises receives cable services without an account, but nevertheless does not take any steps to become a subscriber or have the service disconnected.
Types of Theft:Active Theft
Contrary to the common understanding of cable theft - that it involves only the theft of cable television services - cable theft also includes Broadband Internet abuse.
- Uncapping of Modems – The vast majority of broadband Internet users do not need more bandwidth than is provided by most cable operators as part of standard residential subscriptions. Some dishonest users though will they hack into their modem and uncap their bandwidth limits. Some people uncap their own modems, and others who do not possess the necessary skills receive assistance from others who do. Individuals who uncap their modems and steal excessive bandwidth slow down their neighbors transmission rates.
- WiFi Theft – WiFi theft occurs when someone installs a wireless network in a residence or business location and intentionally enables others to receive broadband service for free over their wireless network.
Wireless networking is a great product, but when using a wireless network subscribers should always secure their home networks from unauthorized users. Unsecured wireless networks allow others to access a subscriber's network and potentially see all of the subscriber's personal files, allow potential criminals and terrorists to send untraceable communications or allow an individual to download illegal materials, such as copyrighted or obscene material that would lead back to the subscribers modem.
Assisting Others to Steal Cable is Illegal
It is not only illegal to steal cable services, it is also illegal to assist others to steal cable services. In fact, federal law provides for criminal penalties and civil remedies against people who willfully, assist others to steal cable services. Such assistance can take the form of distributing "pirate" cable television descrambling equipment, assisting others to make unauthorized connections to cable systems, promoting the free use of one's wireless broadband network, or assisting others to hack into their modems and uncap them. Click here to see federal statutes that prohibit the assistance of theft of services offered over a cable system.
Primary Theft
Primary theft of cable services involves instances where someone does not subscribe to any cable services but makes (and/or maintains) an unauthorized connection to a cable company's cable system. This type of theft can occur when someone takes affirmative steps to connect his or her residence or business to the system, or has someone make the connection for them. It can also involve surreptitiously using someone else's wireless network to gain access to the Internet, or signing up for cable service using a false identity with no intention of paying for the service.
Secondary Theft - Premium/Pay-Per-View Cable Television Services Theft
Most cable companies, including Starstream Communications, scramble "premium" and "pay-per-view" cable television programming services to ensure that only subscribers who order and pay for such services receive them. Premium programming services, which include channels such as Showtime and Cinemax, are available for monthly fees over and above standard subscription fees. Pay-per-view programming services, including Video-On-Demand ("VOD"), are movies and other events that are billed on a per-event fee basis. Starstream Communications provide converter-descramblers to subscribers who subscribe to premium services, or who want the ability to order VOD or pay-per-view services. Such equipment is made available for modest monthly rental fees.
Throughout the United States and abroad, people and companies manufacture, modify and/or sell cable boxes and other equipment that are designed to descramble premium and pay-per-view cable television services without authorization. The manufacture, modification and sale of such equipment is illegal under federal and state statutes. The use of such equipment is similarly illegal.
Subscription Fraud – Subscription fraud occurs when an individual signs up for cable services, provides false information to receive services and has no intention of paying for those services. Subscription fraud is theft!
Click here to anonymously report an incident of cable theft.
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