Forget borrowing sugar off your neighbour, these days it’s all about wangling their wi-fi.
A third of Brits have attempted to leach off someone else’s broadband, either by sneaking in through an unsecured connection or guessing a password.
One reader called Robert has landed himself in major trouble after helping himself to wi-fi that he did not pay for.
He already had problems with his neighbour after the pair clashed about a fence not long after he moved in 2018.
Robert thought the other guy was the neighbour from hell and solicitors had to get involved.
The fence drama was sorted, with Robert being in the right. And he hoped that was the end of it. But more battle lines have been drawn, this time over “piggybacking”.
In February he was asked to attend a voluntary police interview in relation to a broadband use.
Robert was confused as he did not have a wi-fi connection.
He was then interviewed and all became clear. While Robert did not have any, he used to regularly log on to his neighbour’s wi-fi on his mobile phone.
Somehow his neighbour found out about this and reported him.
Most readers will be thinking Robert will have received a little slap on the wrist – but you will be wrong. It seems the police are taking the matter seriously and he faces prosecution.
What the law says
Using a neighbour’s unsecure wi-fi without their knowledge, which is known as piggybacking, is a criminal offence.
It could lead to criminal charges under the Computer Misuse Act 1990 or the Communications Act 2003. But many people do this without thinking and without realising the consequences.
One report found people aged between 35 and 44 are the most likely to piggyback off a neighbour’s connection. And in London, the problem was worse, with 60 per cent trying their luck.
But this is a serious offence and you should think twice about using your neighbour’s connection.
