Jagdeep Bhogal and Manminder Singh used eBay to sell unlocked viewing cards
TWO MEN who sold illegal Virgin Media television viewing cards on eBay have been found guilty.
Jagdeep Bhogal, 30, and Manminder Singh, 30, both from Wolverhampton, were caught in a sting operation by the Virgin Media Fraud and Security Team.
The duo illegally obtained Virgin Media cards, which were unlocked and sold on the eBay.
People who brought the cards were able to access all Virgin digital television services without having to pay for any subscription.
The men were caught when Bhogal offered an undercover Virgin Media Fraud and Security Team member a number of unlocked cards.
Both men pleaded guilty to charges of fraud at Wolverhampton Crown Court.
They were each given 26 week prison sentences, suspended for two years.
Malcolm Davies, Virgin Media’s head of fraud and security said: “This should act as a serious warning to others to steer clear of selling illegal TV equipment. We take this matter extremely seriously and will continue to work closely with police forces throughout the UK to prosecute individuals connected with this type of fraud.
“Anyone thinking of buying a cut-price box needs to know that they are needlessly throwing money away. Later this year we will introduce a new encryption process in the West Midlands, which is already rolling out across other parts of the UK now. This will protect our existing customers and make it impossible for others to take our services unless they pay for them legitimately.”
