SOUTH BEND — If you use someone else's wireless internet connection, you could be breaking the law. Local investigators say Wi-Fi theft is very difficult to police.

It seems like wireless internet access is everywhere these days — in restaurants, hotels and homes.

"Accessing an open wireless network, most people don't even realize it's happening," explained St. Joseph County High Tech Crimes Commander Mitch Kajzer.

But police say that access is often happening illegally. For example, if you're sitting in the parking lot of a business and using its wireless internet from your lap top, police say you're committing a crime called Computer Trespass.

Part of that statute makes it illegal to log on to any private internet connection. Prosecutors and investigators say the fact that the signal is out there and available to anyone makes the statute a gray area.

"There's concerns about whether or not you could actually charge theft because you're not actually taking anything from that business who provides that service," explained St. Joseph County Prosecutor Mike Dvorak. "They're not paying any more for it, because the person sits out in the parking lot, hacks into it."

Commander Kajzer also explained how the boundaries of a business's wireless networks aren't clear. Should the boundary end at the door or the edge of the property? What about nearby neighbors who can access the signal?

But Prosecutor Dvorak admits you'll have to do something worse than using someone else's connection to get in serious trouble.

"Our greater concern is what someone is stealing from someone else," he explained. "What that interloper is taking from you: identification, defrauding you and taking money out of your account."

If you have a wireless connection and don't want it open to the public, you can easily set it up to be password protected. You can also disable the signal that lets other people in the area know you have Wi-Fi.