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248: Interpretation
or “This part explains the important words used when talking about computer crimes in a way that's easy to understand.”
You could also call this:

“Using a computer to trick or cheat others for personal gain or to cause harm is against the law.”

If you access a computer system in a dishonest way, you could get in trouble with the law. This applies whether you access it directly or indirectly.

You could go to prison for up to 7 years if you access a computer system dishonestly or by tricking someone, and without having the right to do so, to:

  • Get something valuable like property, money, or a benefit for yourself
  • Cause someone else to lose something

Even if you just try to do these things but don’t succeed, you could still go to prison for up to 5 years.

In this law, ‘deception’ means the same thing as it does in section 240(2) of this Act.

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Next up: 250: Damaging or interfering with computer system

or “It's against the law to hurt or mess with computers in ways that can harm people or break things.”
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Part 10 Crimes against rights of property
Crimes involving computers

249Accessing computer system for dishonest purpose

  1. Every one is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years who, directly or indirectly, accesses any computer system and thereby, dishonestly or by deception, and without claim of right,—

  2. obtains any property, privilege, service, pecuniary advantage, benefit, or valuable consideration; or
    1. causes loss to any other person.

      1. Every one is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years who, directly or indirectly, accesses any computer system with intent, dishonestly or by deception, and without claim of right,—

      2. to obtain any property, privilege, service, pecuniary advantage, benefit, or valuable consideration; or
        1. to cause loss to any other person.

          1. In this section, deception has the same meaning as in section 240(2).

          Notes
          • Section 249: replaced, on , by section 15 of the Crimes Amendment Act 2003 (2003 No 39).