USA - Satellite companies focus on access card theft

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A 16-year-old was recently arrested for breaking into an older woman's Delray Beach home and stealing $59, pliers and a DirecTV access card.

Police didn't elaborate much on why the teen would want to steal the satellite TV card, but the crime fits a pattern related to satellite television piracy.

Stealing the access cards that activate DirecTV and other satellite systems is all the rage among some burglars. The stolen cards can easily be sold on the street to someone who then gets free service. And, technologically speaking, it's not so simple for the satellite providers to catch the crooks. Can they not just cancel the stolen cards or is this written by someone who doesn't understand how they work?

Local police said they're seldom asked to investigate stolen cards.

"I just don't think they are of much value," Delray Beach police Lt. Marc Woods said.

But satellite companies that lose millions of dollars to piracy every year are fighting back by suing pirates and everyone they can find who buys illegal cards and other devices in hopes of recouping the losses. DirecTV has sued 25,000 people and sent about 100,000 letters warning against using illegal devices, company spokesman Robert Mercer said.

The company employs former FBI agents, engineers and lawyers to fight piracy. A 24-hour hotline takes complaints for illegal service.

"It's all about deterrence. Stealing satellite signals is a serious matter. We don't hesitate to pursue this," Mercer said. "We'll fight this by going to the top of the food chain and to the bottom users."

Pirates can be fined up to $25,000 for every seized illegal device, Mercer said.

The Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association, which represents more than 1,000 satellite and radio distributors, retailers and programmers, has made curbing piracy a top initiative for next year since the number of satellite television subscribers has grown to more than 24 million, said Camille Osborne, spokeswoman for the Alexandria, Va.-based organization.

Satellite thieves buy dishes and home receivers from DirecTV but not the service. Stolen cards often sell for up to $200, Mercer said.

Source: Sun-Sentinel - Florida

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Only he who does nothing, does nothing wrong.

easysat

Presumably the rightful owner of the 'stolen' signal would have come round to viewer's house and collected the unwanted signal if the viewer hadn't been so naughty as to capture it with his dish.

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satil

they can never catch the ones who use stolen cards, unless those who make use of these cards hook their satellite recievers to the telephone lines. All these reports coming from satellite providers are just meant to frighten people . They know very well, that unless the card is reported stolen, they can do nothing about it.It's up to the poeple who were robbed to report the stolen card to the providers.