Targeted emails are being sent to people using illegal TV streaming services and so-called “loaded” Firesticks, Android, or Kodi devices which are being advertised openly on Facebook
Users of illegal TV streams are getting targeted emails or texts warning them to stop or risk prosecution, the Mirror can reveal.
The customer contact details of more than 1,000 Brit streamers were seized by police investigating criminals suspected of running illegal TV streaming services. They were then sent “cease and desist” messages by FACT, the Federation Against Copyright Theft, in a ramping up of efforts to tackle rampant piracy that is thought to be costing the entertainment industry as much as £20bn a year.
FACT chairman Kieron Sharp, a former senior City of London Police detective and former head of the economic crime team at Interpol, said: “This campaign makes it clear that end users of illegal streaming services are breaking the law.
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“The risks are real, from potential criminal liability to exposure to scams, viruses, and harmful content. We urge people to protect themselves and their families by only using legitimate providers.”
There are thought to be millions of Brits who access illegal TV streaming services – FACT warn they are potentially liable to prosecution for criminal offences, including under Section 11 of the Fraud Act 2006. FACT, the UK’s leading intellectual property protection organisation, says its latest campaign shows users they are not anonymous and that watching illegally streamed content carries risks.
In May, we warned that doctored Amazon firesticks and other devices sold on the black market for TV piracy could be used to steal credit card information or infect hardware with malware. The latest move follows the jailing of Jonathan Edge, from Liverpool, for his role in running and personally using an illegal streaming service.
Edge, 30, was sentenced last November at Liverpool Crown Court to three years and four months in prison, in a prosecution supported by FACT and Merseyside Police. Edge’s own use of his unauthorised service was treated as a distinct crime for which he received a separate jail sentence of two years and three months, to run concurrently. It highlighted the risk that end users, not just suppliers, can face criminal prosecution for illegal streaming, FACT says.
During investigations into Edge and operators of a second illegal streaming service, who are currently facing prosecution, law enforcement seized details of customers who had purchased access to so-called “loaded” Firesticks, Android, or Kodi devices. Those customers have now been contacted directly to warn them of the dangers of continuing to use illegal streaming services.
Detective Sergeant Adam Dagnall of Merseyside Police’s Cybercrime Unit said: “Merseyside Police takes illegal streaming seriously because it often helps fund organised crime and puts users at real risk. Not only is it a criminal offence, but the unauthorised streaming services frequently contain malware that can compromise personal devices and lead to the loss of information such as banking details, or be used to commit identity fraud.
“Legitimate providers have security measures that protect users from these threats. Please don’t be tempted by cheap so-called ‘fully loaded’ or ‘jailbroken’ devices, even as Christmas gifts – you could end up getting more than you bargained for.”
T/DCI Alethea Fowler of Tarian Regional Organised Crime Unit said: “Users of illegal streaming services may see it as a harmless crime, but there is no such thing. Not only do the end users of these services face risks such as loss of personal data and fire risk to their property, but they are also funding serious and organised crime. Criminals rarely stop at one income stream, and by purchasing illicit goods you are enabling further forms of criminality, often involving exploitation and harm.
“We would encourage anyone who is considering using illegal streaming services to consider the risks to themselves, their families, and their wider communities. Tarian ROCU will continue to work with partners such as FACT to identify distributors and bring them to justice.”
Earlier this year, the Mirror found tens of thousands of adverts for pirate TV services openly posted on Facebook. Many are for doctored Firesticks which offer bundles of thousands of channels for a few pounds a month. Prices started at £35 for a six month subscription to £150 for a five-year deal. In comparison, a football fan wanting to follow all the Premier League action legally would need to pay at least £50 a month for the cheapest Sky and TNT deals.
We found a single UK mobile number being used across 800 Facebook Marketplace ads for Fire Stick “packages” for as little as £6. The pirate streams can save users hundreds of pounds a year – but FACT highlights that it comes at a risk.
In the last five and a half years, FACT has been involved in 24 prosecutions leading to 37 criminals being jailed for an average of nearly three years each. FACT works with police and trading standards on investigations into the theft of copyrighted material and does, in some cases, being private prosecutions.
The Intellectual Property Office has estimated that 6.2m Brits access illegally streamed TV and 3.9m people watch pirated live sport. There are an estimated 17m people in Europe using pirated TV services – or one in 22 people, which rises to one in eight of 16 to 24-year-olds. Estimates of the cost vary between £900m and £21bn a year.
