Ten DJs in the UK have been arrested after police there found that they had engaged in a crazy scam to collect royalties from their music–using stolen credit cards. The DJs laid out $30 to have TuneCore distribute their music to iTunes and other digital-music services; they then bought about £450,000 ($738,000) of their own music, only they used the credit-card accounts of identity-theft victims to do so. Not only did the sadly unnamed DJs’ behavior allow them to tote up some £200,000 ($328,000) in royalties, it apparently got them noticed by a few record labels, thanks to their inflated chart placements.
The DJs are being held on charges of fraud and money laundering, although I do wonder if their out-and-out sleaziness is going to result in them getting noticed by labels’ HR departments as well as their A & R departments. Just think of all the pre-release publicity leaking these guys’ names could be good for–and the ease with which music hacks could write stories about them!
Music gang in alleged iTunes royalty scam arrested [Telegraph via artistspaid]
I gotta give them props for creativity. I think there is a great movie in here somewhere.
@Lucas Jensen: I can see the trailer now:
In a world … where no one pays for music … a group of DJs teamed up … to buck that trend … and get paid … by any means necessary. Tom Cruise!!! Shia Labeuf!!! That sassy black kid from Role Models!!! and 7 other team up and become … The TuneCore Ten. Coming Summer 2011.