DirecTV Files Lawsuit Targeting Activation Fraud Scheme

[Gregg Lengling]

DirecTV said it filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Ft. Lauderdale against seven individuals it claims allegedly obtained DirecTV programming for other consumers by fraudulent means with the set up of false subscription accounts and illegally activating receivers.

Four of the individuals named in the DirecTV lawsuit reside in New York, two in Florida and one in New Jersey. They are listed along with a number of unidentified defendants listed as John Does in the complaint, DirecTV said.

DirecTV said the defendants allegedly violated provisions of the Federal Communications Act, federal wiretap laws and state law, all of which say it's illegal to intercept or assist others in intercepting DirecTV's encrypted satellite signals without authorization or payment to the company. The company said it's entitled to either actual damages, including any profits made by the defendants, or statutory damages that can range from $10,000 to $100,000 per violation, as well as payment of all costs and attorneys' an investigative fees.

In September, DirecTV filed a similar lawsuit against a Utah couple claiming that the defendants created false subscription accounts and illegally activated multiple access cards and receivers. That case is still pending.