People stealing their neighbours’ wireless Internet (what is known as “leeching”) could now face the threat of a criminal record in the UK following an apparent crackdown by police. It may seem a trivial offence, but it could still be seen as hacking, a Wi-Fi thief hijacks someone else’s connection by means of using poorly secured networks. And merely stealing some Internet could also lead to more serious crimes such as identity theft and cyberfraud.

In fact, recent research conducted by price comparison website Moneysupermarket.com indicates that lax wireless protection puts up to a quarter of the UK’s population at “serious risk” of identity theft and cyberfraud. People increasingly have Wi-Fi in their homes, but many do not enable basic security features, leaving their network vulnerable to even an unsophisticated attack. "It is bad enough if your neighbour can use your Internet connection for free, but this becomes far more sinister if someone uses your wireless connection for criminal activity," commented Jason Lloyd, who heads the broadband department at Moneysupermarket.

All this has lead to more attention from the police, who seem to be taking the problem increasingly seriously. As reported in The Guardian, two people have already been detained in the past month in Worcestershire in two unrelated incidents. Both subsequently received a caution “for dishonestly obtaining electronic communication services with intent to avoid payment.” Police Constable Tony Humphreys from West Mercia police warned users: "Wireless networks don't stop at the walls of your home - without the necessary protection, neighbours or people in the road may be able to connect to your network. This might slow down your service, or more importantly, your connection could be used for unlawful purposes."