I used to work as a subcontractor for comcast.
1) Bullets do exist - they do not damage working equipment and they do not work as well as they used to.
2) Despite what all the ads say - it is illegal to own one in most states.
http://www.state.in.us/legislative/i...ar45/ch13.html
You can try all the legal mumbo jumbo you want. If you get caught - they will find something to charge you with. Theft of service, conspiracy to steal service (between you and the manufacture of the box), whatever. You are fooling yourself if you think you can't get in trouble just for owning one.
3) The good ones are not easily detected, and 99% of the people that get in trouble for them - get in trouble because of informers.
4) They do work - and if you keep your mouth shut and don't tell your friends - they probably will never find out. Some can be detected with a device called a TDR. This is very expensive and they have no need to use these most of the time.
5) The majority of cable theft does not occur by using these boxes.
here is an article that is pretty funny.
http://www.geocities.com/flutocracy/cablemodem.htm