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  1. #1
    Retired Grumpy Grandad notanotherone's Avatar
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    Fraudster?s fake TV cards

    Fraudster?s fake TV cards cheated firm out of ?1.25m

    A FATHER who supplied a thousand people with illegal Virgin cable television is thought to have cheated the company out of ?1.25m.

    Michael Osborne ran his operation, which supplied people with equipment to get free Virgin Media channels, from his bedroom.

    For years he sold fraudulent smart cards that allowed people to watch all the firm?s premium channels without paying monthly subscription fees of up to ?104, Portsmouth Crown Court heard.

    Prosecutor Martyn Booth said Osborne had sold 1,000 smart cards over four years after finding out about them on the internet.

    Osborne, who has a six-year-old son, was arrested during a raid on his home in Lantana Close, Waterlooville, in March last year when police found 41 of the smart cards.

    Mr Booth said that while it was difficult to put a precise figure on the loss to the company it was estimated to be ?1.25m. He said Osborne had made about ?50,000 from selling the cards.

    The court heard the 49-year-old has a long list of previous convictions. He pleaded guilty to possessing articles for use in fraud, making or supplying articles for use in fraud and obtaining services by deception. Judge Roger Hetherington said: ?This required a degree of sophistication, although I accept it was something you ran from your own bedroom.

    ?It was carried out over a period of four years. You involved others. You got into this in the first place by discussions on the internet.

    ?Over the four years, although it?s impossible to say how many cards you sold, I do not doubt that you derived some financial benefit from it yourself. Virgin Media would have lost a considerable amount through you and others who availed themselves of your hacking equipment.?

    The judge said Osborne had previously been declared bankrupt and owed ?52,000 in credit card debts.

    Osborne was given a 12-month prison sentence suspended for two years. He will have 18 months of supervision from the probation service and must attend a thinking skills course. There will be a court hearing in May to decide how much money he has to repay.

    Malcolm Davies, Virgin Media?s head of fraud and security said: ?This should act as a serious warning to others to steer clear of this type of crime. We take this matter extremely seriously and will continue to work closely with the police forces to prosecute individuals connected with this type of TV fraud.

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  2. #2
    Forum Supporter tinkertiler's Avatar
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    Re: Fraudster?s fake TV cards

    And from all the cards that he sold how many of them would have paid full price for the service?? At a guess a very low percentage and this is the same arguement with piracy that the film industry is loosing money all over the place but out of all the films downloaded how many of them would have gone out and purchased the film or games? A very low amount! So they wouldnt have lost anywhere near that amount and the sooner these companies realise this the better but they think they know best when they are all talking cr@p! And if they were that bothered about it then they would have upped the security on the services they provide(which they have now done)
    Insanity is hereditary, you get it from your kids!


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  3. #3
    Elite Member Diablo13's Avatar
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    Re: Fraudster?s fake TV cards

    As tink was saying, how can a company lose what it never had in the first place?

    Better luck next time Michael Osborne, its about time these rich entertainment companies took note of your peaceful protest at their prices!

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