UK DJs Arrested over iTunes Royalty Scam
6/11/2009 By Keith Carman

Crime doesn't pay. Well, unless you're a scammy DJ, that is. Following a massive investigation by a joint venture of the FBI and Scotland Yard's Central E-Crime Unit, nine UK DJs have been arrested for allegedly using stolen credit cards to buy their own music via Apple's iTunes and Amazon, which not only gave the tricksters a boost in income but their chart standings as well.

Here's how the scam worked: a group of DJs recorded 19 compilations, put them on the service providers' sites, then downloaded them 65,000 times on accounts set up with stolen cards. Recognizing something was amiss last December, a number of credit card companies warned Apple that the accounts were bogus. That prompted a deeper probe that led to nine people being arrested across the UK yesterday (June 10). They are charged with conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering. The investigation spanned London and New York.

Various reports have the sum of illegal royalty earnings ranging from between £200,000 to £400,000 (almost $729,000 CDN). The false boost in sales also placed the artists in higher chart ratings, thereby rendering many recent charts null and void.

After the arrests, detective chief inspector Terry Wilson was quoted as stating “This has been a complex investigation to establish what we believe to be an international conspiracy to defraud Apple and Amazon. This investigation, with its national and international dimension, exemplifies why we have set up this national response to e-crime. It shows the success that can be achieved through our close working relationship with the FBI.”

More News: << Previous Story | Next Story >>
Do you have a news tip for us? Did anything crazy happen at a show? Got any inside info on a band? Click here to let us know!
Check Out Reviews of Massive Attack, Gil Scott-Heron, Pantha Du Prince, Sade and More in New Release Tuesday
Liam Gallagher Ditches Oasis 2.0 Moniker: “That Was a Shit Name Anyway”
Lil Wayne's Sentencing Postponed Due to, Um, Dental Surgery
Matthew Herbert's Pig Album Hits Snag When Pig Dies
Metric Respond to Backlash over Help Haiti T-Shirt
Bright Eyes/Neva Dinova Split EP to Get Reissued with Extra Tracks
The Weakerthans Divulge Details of Forthcoming Live Album
Megadeth Co-Founder Dave Ellefson Returns for Rust in Peace Tour; Dave Mustaine to Release Autobiography
MGMT Unveil Congratulations Release Details
White Stripes Slam U.S. Air Force Over Super Bowl Ad, Bring Ballet to Toronto
Crazy Heart, in which Jeff Bridges adds another career achievement notch on his belt as a down-to-his-last-drink country singer, might be more difficult to watch for musicians than for average moviegoers.

Bad Blake (Bridges), who's on the wrong side of 50, is hauling his truck ... Full Review
The term "videogame music" is often intended as an insult, deriding electronic beatscapes as rudimentary by comparing them to the 8-bit by necessity, bleep-based soundtracks of early Atari and Nintendo games. (See: Castles, Crystal) That Super Mario's theme music remains embedded in the frontal lobes of anyone under the age of 40 proves the critical weakness of the diss ― but it's also hopelessly archaic considering how much videogame music has evolved over the years.... Read More
Explosive and precise, Etaoin Shrdlu knowingly wink at the perception that their post-hardcore math rock musical approach might be a throwback while simultaneously contributing something vibrant to punk rock with Mating Calls. Featuring members of significant bands like Blake, I Can Put my Ar... Full Review
Social Networking
• Be our friend on MySpace
• Be our fan on Facebook
Tweet us on twitter
Viewing the June 2009 Issue: Contents PageNewsClick Hear • Articles --> On the Cover  •  Front Five  •  Points  •  Questionnaire  •  Release Dates  •  Timeline  •  Videogames  •  Conversations • Music Reviews --> Recently Reviewed  •  Aggressive Tendencies  •  Beats & Rhymes  •  Destination Out  •  Frequencies  •  Groove  •  No Future  •  Pop Rocks  •  Wood, Wires & Whiskey  •  Concert Reviews • Motion Reviews --> Recently Reviewed  •  Dvd Reviews  •  Film Reviews  •  Music DVD Reviews  •  Hot Docs  •  Videogame Reviews • Music School --> Need to Know  •  Where I play Contests • Contact --> About Us  • Advertising  • Distribution  • Getting Reviewed  • Getting Published  • Letters To The Editor  • Partnerships  • Subscriptions • Exclaim! Radio --> Aggressive Tendencies Radio  • Beats & Rhymes Radio  • Destination Out Radio  • Frequencies Radio  • Groove Radio  • No Future Radio  • Pop Rocks Radio  • Wood, Wires & Whiskey Radio Exclaim! TV • Home & Latest Issue Browse Issues