Identity theft warning issued to everyone using Amazon Fire Sticks for illegal streaming

Daily Record

2 days ago

Amazon Fire Sticks are among some of the most popular devices used to illegally stream live events but a new warning has been issued that these pirate streams are being used by criminals to swipe credit card details and plant malware on user's devices.
Illegal live sport streams, often accessed via devices such as Amazon's £25 Fire Stick, are being sneakily used by criminals to swipe credit card information and plant malware on unsuspecting users' devices. A revealing study from Enders Analysis has branded pirated video as an "enticing store front" for crooks, whilst slamming big tech companies for not sufficiently addressing this "industrial scale theft".
The report highlights that illegal streaming is embraced by one in eight individuals aged between 16 to 24, deeming the fight against it a "formidable challenge". The investigation blamed top-tier tech firms for "a combination of ambivalence and inertia", criticising them for neglecting robust security measures and inadvertently guiding consumers towards illegal offerings.
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It detailed three primary factors that contribute to the thriving piracy scene. Social media platforms, according to the research, act as gateways to "opportunistic" re-streaming of live events, while the second deploys streaming as a method to implant malware onto the viewer's gadget, the Mirror reports.
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The document stated: "Pirated services are part of sustained efforts, mostly by organised crime, to gain access to consumer data and online identity, infect devices with malware and enrich their criminal enterprises."
Additionally, devices like the Fire Stick, which sell pirate TV subscriptions posing as legitimate providers, were labelled the third enabler of content piracy.
Within Europe alone, it's estimated that a staggering 17 million people engage in pirated TV watching, with the financial impact believed to be somewhere between £900m and £21bn annually.
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To put this into perspective, just one illicit stream of a major football game might attract tens of thousands of viewers, the report identified.
The document branded Amazon's Fire TV Stick as a prominent "piracy enabler".
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The gadget, which connects to a television and provides access to thousands of legitimate services, is also illicitly used to stream major events.
Enders Analysis commented that consumers do not need to "search the darkest corners of the web" as the services are already "openly marketed and promoted".
Amazon has reportedly taken steps with Fire TV to make it more difficult to stream pirated content and cautions its users against "sideloaded apps".
A spokesperson stated: "We remain vigilant in our efforts to combat piracy and protect customers from the risks associated with pirated content, which includes prohibiting apps that infringe upon the rights of third parties in our Appstore, and warning customers of the risks associated with installing or using apps from unknown sources."
Sky Group COO Nick Herm remarked: "It's a serious issue for anyone who invests in creating and delivering world-class content. We'd like to see faster, more joined-up action from major tech platforms and government."