BRITISH police have issued a fresh warning against illegally streaming TV services like Sky using gadgets such as jailbroken Amazon Fire Sticks.
Police say they recently raided homes and made two arrests after finding illegal Fire TV devices being sold with full unauthorised access to premium Sky packages.
According to FACT, illegal streaming can also expose users to fraud, identity theft and malware
An investigation led the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU) discovered a Telegram channel selling the illegal Fire Sticks, earning those involved more than £800,000.
Detective Inspector Steve Payne, from ERSOU’s Regional Organised Crime Unit, said Tuesday’s arrests form part of a wider investigation into large-scale high-earning criminal rings that profit from the sale of illicit TV packages.
“We know from experience that the money generated through illegal means such as this often goes on to fund wider organised criminality, which is why it’s key to apprehend those involved,” Payne said in a statement.
“We have also gained access to the details of those purchasing the streams, and I would remind anyone doing so that they will be breaking the law and could ultimately be subject to criminal proceedings.”
It’s not just Fire Sticks that can be jailbroken, similar gadgets can be illegally modified too.
Matt Hibbert, Director of Anti-Piracy, UK and ROI, at Sky said the broadcasterwas grateful to the forces involved for arresting the duo.
“We’ll continue to support efforts to shut down the organised networks involved in the large-scale theft of our content, and to protect consumers from the risks involved in accessing content in this way,” Hibbert continued.
The Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT), which acts for the Premier League, Sky, and BT Sport, helped form Section 11 of the Fraud Act 2006 which criminalises the act of obtaining any of kind of service dishonestly.
Under the Fraud Act, people caught illegally accessing TV services can face up to five years in prison and/or an unlimited fine.
In March 2022, a total of 10 years was handed down to the three men and one woman on charges connected with illegally streaming Sky and BT content.
Then in February this year, Clinton Hartland was fined more than £8,000 ($10,000) for illegally television Sky Sports football matches in his West Midlands pub The Watering Trough.
According to FACT, illegal streaming can also expose users to fraud, identity theft and malware.
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