If you run a coax to the neighbors to use DirecTV or Comcast, they will call it “theft of service”. Criminal theft of service. Federal code specifically speaks to this. Just piggybacking on the same idea with the verbiage.
TWC says: It is illegal not only to steal cable services but also 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. Federal statutes prohibit the assistance of theft of services offered over a cable system. And it appears to be called “theft of service” if it is unwanted: http://www.theinternetpatrol.com/man-charged-with-theft-of-services-for-using-free-wifi-at-coffee-shop-in-for-a-brewed-awakening/ As far as the LDS folks go, it is not intended to scare them, it is intended to trigger a guilty conscience. They vow to be honest. This is intended to remind themthat this is not an honest behavior. From: Ken Hohhof Sent: Tuesday, May 26, 2015 2:03 PM To: af@afmug.com Subject: Re: [AFMUG] Scary Letter Not for me. I would avoid the whole theft of service approach. I think you are on shaky legal ground, plus it sounds lame unless LDS folks really are easily scared. Say it is against the Terms of Service they agreed to, and will result in disconnection of service. That doesn’t mean it is a crime. The better approach is probably that unsecured WiFi lets anyone within range capture everything you transmit without encryption, allows them access to your network and router on the trusted side of your firewall making it much easier for hackers, and as you mentioned could cause law enforcement to blame you for bad things someone else did on the Internet via your IP address. From: Chuck McCown Sent: Tuesday, May 26, 2015 2:39 PM To: af@afmug.com Subject: Re: [AFMUG] Scary Letter Brett, Ken does this wording work better? 5) Allowing a neighbor to use your WiFi connection instead of purchasing service for their own house is a crime called “Theft of Service”. You are collaborating in this theft and jeopardizing your own service as well.
