2nd person charged for Wi-Fi 'mooching'
2nd person charged for Wi-Fi 'mooching'
By Chua Hian Hou - Jan 5, 2007
The Straits Times
A YOUNG man who allegedly used his neighbour's unsecured wireless network to post a bomb hoax online was charged yesterday, the second person to be prosecuted for illegal wireless access. Twenty-one-year-old Lin Zhenghuang is accused of posting a message on popular technology website HardwareZone in July 2005, saying there was a bomb at the Toa Payoh bus interchange.
The alleged post by Lin, using his online name 'krisurf', made in the wake of the London subway and bus bombings earlier that month, so alarmed the site's users that some contacted the police.
The Straits Times understands that initial investigations had led the police to raid another user's home. She was questioned and her computer seized, but an analysis of her computer revealed that she was not responsible for the bomb hoax.
As she had an unsecured wireless network at home, it was believed someone else could have made the offending post, using her network.
If convicted, Lin faces up to seven years' jail and fines of up to $50,000 under the Telecommunications Act.
The tall, lanky national serviceman faces an additional 60 charges for using his notebook computer to illegally access the wireless networks of nine people in his neighbourhood repeatedly - an offence under the Computer Misuse Act with penalties of up to $10,000 in fines and three years' jail per charge.
After the charges were read out to him, a sombre-looking Lin told the court he intended to plead guilty but needed a one-week adjournment as his grandmother had died recently.
The judge granted Lin's request. Due to the serious nature of Lin's alleged offences, bail was set at $20,000 and his passport confiscated.
Last November, a 17-year-old was charged with illegally accessing a wireless network, a practice known as Wi-Fi 'mooching'.
He has since pleaded guilty and is expected to be sentenced in two weeks.
A check online revealed at least four cases worldwide where Wi-Fi moochers had been fined or jailed.
chuahh@sph.com.sg
By Chua Hian Hou - Jan 5, 2007
The Straits Times
A YOUNG man who allegedly used his neighbour's unsecured wireless network to post a bomb hoax online was charged yesterday, the second person to be prosecuted for illegal wireless access. Twenty-one-year-old Lin Zhenghuang is accused of posting a message on popular technology website HardwareZone in July 2005, saying there was a bomb at the Toa Payoh bus interchange.
The alleged post by Lin, using his online name 'krisurf', made in the wake of the London subway and bus bombings earlier that month, so alarmed the site's users that some contacted the police.
The Straits Times understands that initial investigations had led the police to raid another user's home. She was questioned and her computer seized, but an analysis of her computer revealed that she was not responsible for the bomb hoax.
As she had an unsecured wireless network at home, it was believed someone else could have made the offending post, using her network.
If convicted, Lin faces up to seven years' jail and fines of up to $50,000 under the Telecommunications Act.
The tall, lanky national serviceman faces an additional 60 charges for using his notebook computer to illegally access the wireless networks of nine people in his neighbourhood repeatedly - an offence under the Computer Misuse Act with penalties of up to $10,000 in fines and three years' jail per charge.
After the charges were read out to him, a sombre-looking Lin told the court he intended to plead guilty but needed a one-week adjournment as his grandmother had died recently.
The judge granted Lin's request. Due to the serious nature of Lin's alleged offences, bail was set at $20,000 and his passport confiscated.
Last November, a 17-year-old was charged with illegally accessing a wireless network, a practice known as Wi-Fi 'mooching'.
He has since pleaded guilty and is expected to be sentenced in two weeks.
A check online revealed at least four cases worldwide where Wi-Fi moochers had been fined or jailed.
chuahh@sph.com.sg
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