Fraudsters scam Virgin Media
October 25, 2011
By Chris Forrester
Two Lancashire men who sold illegal Virgin Media set-top boxes have been told they must pay up £200,000 each, or spend longer in jail.
Imran Khansia, 30, and Rafiq Dudhwala, 27, from the northwest England town of Blackburn, were part of a four-man gang given jail sentences that totalled just under 14 years. The boxes allowed customers to view channels without paying a monthly fee.
John White, head of group security at Virgin Media, said: “Purchasing unlawful equipment such as this only serves to fund organised crime and we will continue to investigate and prosecute individuals and groups connected with this type of fraud.”
In July, three Essex men – Munaf Ahmed Zinga, Mukandun Pillai and Salim Patel – were sentenced to a total of 15 years in prison for a similar crime.