"It was a protection racket just like those run 40 years ago in London's nightclubs, " says Michael Deats, detective superintendent of the U.K.'s National Hi-Tech Crime Unit.

FORBES: Companies, People, Ideas

Opposition leader Tony Abbott accused Ms Gillard, who initially stood by Mr Thomson, of running a "protection racket" for him, says the BBC's Nick Bryant in Sydney.

BBC: Australia MP arrested on 150 charges of fraud

At the time the consumer organisation Citizens Advice dubbed the sale of PPI policies a "protection racket", saying they were often too expensive and failed to provide the level of cover that customers thought they were getting.

BBC: Car dealers fined over insurance

As you might expect, there are already workarounds out there that can bypass Protect DVD: SlySoft reportedly updated its AnyDVD software recently as a direct response to this protection racket.

ENGADGET: Protect DVD-Video prevents discs from playing on your PC

Recently, a member of Parliament from Quebec, Yvan Loubier, was given 24-hour police protection after he had exposed a racket in his constituency.

ECONOMIST: Canada goes to pot

The cowbirds' dastardly tricks do not stop at this protection racket, either, for a fifth of those warbler nests that had never had cowbird eggs in them also got destroyed.

ECONOMIST: How cowbirds run protection rackets

Winner of a 2008 Scottish BAFTA, was Britain's Protection Racket.

BBC: Panorama's recent awards

Mr Dutta said a wildlife protection society, Green Heart Nature, helped the police in busting the racket.

BBC: India police discover elephant smuggling racket