The theft of services or utilities can be significantly problematic on many levels. The person being stolen from may not even realize that it is happening at the time. But the company that provides those services certainly may be aware, as they are losing potential income.
One example of this is cable theft, when someone illegally steals cable TV services that they have not paid for. We recently discussed how companies can take action against people who do so, perhaps seeking reimbursement for the money they would have earned had those individuals properly paid for cable television services to begin with.
But today, fewer people have cable TV, and more people simply use internet-based services, such as streaming services. Is the theft of these internet services also a problem?
The rise of Wi-Fi theft
Yes, this certainly can and does happen. In some cases, it could be very similar to cable theft, in that someone has illegally installed a splitter and rerouted the internet service to their home through the cable itself.
But there are also issues with Wi-Fi theft, when someone connects to a router or a Wi-Fi service without proper authorization. There are ways to secure Wi-Fi routers, and the operator can often see a list of all devices that are connected to it, allowing them to remove people who are using it illegally. But this type of theft does still happen and can lead to significant losses for internet service providers.
Collecting in these cases can be complicated, but it is possible, so it is important to work with an experienced law firm.