Kitz Forum
Computer Software => Security => Topic started by: tickmike on December 12, 2008, 11:13:20 PM
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On our local Radio station it was saying that a local lady had been sent a £500 bill for downloading porn (which she says she did not ;) )
The letters / bills come from a solicitors in the uk and say they are acting for there client who is protecting there copy right ! and are somehow obtaining peoples IP address's and have had permission from the high courts to look up people's IP's and send them a bill for £500 .
They had a local solicitor looking into this, He was saying if anyone gets one of these bills Not to ignore it (because it was coming from a genuine uk solicitor ).
He said all you have to do is answer this solicitors letter / bill and say it's nothing to do with you .
He also said it needed someone to challenge it in the courts to get this scam stopped .
Thousands of these are being sent out .
DO NOT PAY It's a scam
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They had a local solicitor looking into this, He was saying if anyone gets one of these bills Not to ignore it...........
He said all you have to do is answer this solicitors letter / bill and say it's nothing to do with you .
He also said it needed someone to challenge it in the courts to get this scam stopped .
This is quite true.
If people ignore these type of letters they can end-up being "Black listed" and actually end-up in court, not to mention the "Balifs" possibly knocking on the door.
Even if you are the innocent party it can be a big headache for not replying in the first place.
However, I would not be bothering to put a stamp on the reply envelope.
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However, I would not be bothering to put a stamp on the reply envelope.
That was exactly what I was thinking. ;)
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This scam was discussed on Watchdog the other day, and it seems that it's a big one. Apparently the whole basis of their case is that a particular user's IP address was used. As anyone with a bit of knowledge of the subject knows, IP addresses can be spoofed, and more directly, unsecured wireless networks can be tapped into. So they are making the assumption of guilt based on inadequate evidence.
The best thing for everyone to do first is make sure that if you have a wireless router then the wireless part is disabled if you don't use it, or properly secured with WPA encryption if you do. If you get one of these letters, do challenge it. Take advice from the Citizens Advice Bureau. Don't let them get away with what amounts to extortion.
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This scam was discussed on Watchdog the other day, and it seems that it's a big one. Apparently the whole basis of their case is that a particular user's IP address was used.
Davenport Lyons - threatening letters (http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/watchdog/2008/12/davenport_lyons_threatening_le.html)
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More on this: Which has challenged the bullying letters.
http://www.which.co.uk/news/2008/12/which-challenges-bullying-letters-163975.jsp
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I wonder what the Law Society's stance on this will be. They are quite "touchy" about adverse publicity for their members.
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I was interested to see that if you don't secure your wireless network, you can be held liable for anything that is downloaded on it. I wonder if this is true?
(academic interest only, mine is secured :angel: )
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I was interested to see that if you don't secure your wireless network, you can be held liable for anything that is downloaded on it. I wonder if this is true?
According to Which, that isn't true. And I must say that I find it hard to believe too. Most popular wireless routers are unsecured by default - maybe that ought to be a crime, but I don't see how the users could be held responsible.
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DAVENPORT LYONS RESPONDS (http://www.davenportlyons.com/html/news/press/file_sharing_statement.pdf)
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Some interesting good links :) I will watch this with interest.