Answer: Electricity theft is the criminal practice of stealing electrical power. The practice of stealing electricity is nearly as old as electricity distribution. Electricity theft is accomplished via a variety of means, from methods as rudimentary as directly hooking to a power line, to manipulation of computerized electrical meters. Electricity theft is most common in developing countries where power grids deliver inadequate and unreliable power. The global cost of electricity theft was estimated at $96 billion every year. Some punishments for the crime include fines and incarceration. The electricity losses caused by the theft are classified as non-technical losses.