" it looks as though from Neo’s post these types of things really do happen? "
All the time bro, all the time...
The fact that people don't set up security on their wireless routers or when they do they use default passwords or stupid passwords like their street address, the name of their dog, the model car they drive, and so on, doesn't help matters.
Most of the time though they are benign and it's just router access. It's just the thrill of guessing a password correctly or succuessfully being able to implement the dictionary attack software ("script kiddie", a person, usually a minor, who thinks they are a "hacker" and goes around bragging about their "hacks" because they succuessfully downloaded and ran software that someone else wrote which exploted a system or device. "Script Kiddie" is not an endearing term...).
The best I can come up with for an analogy is likening it to joyriding on a deserted road back before we were old enough to drive. Sure it was illegal, but we didn't really do any damage, and it gave us great bragging rights. Especially if we were able to swipe a few beers from the refrigerator beforehand.
Breaking into someone's email is usually done with a purpose - to see some information, or to send an email to someone "All your base belong to us! -signed script kiddie" as proof for bragging rights.
Let's face it, most people's email boxes are just filled with crap anyway...
It's when it gets onto a corporate level that things get ugly, and the legal claws come out.
