Latest news with #FireSticks
The Irish Sun
21-07-2025
- The Irish Sun
Dodgy streaming network CLOSED in major raid as piracy barons caught with £430,000 trove of gold, cash and Bitcoin
FIVE men suspected of being the masterminds behind a huge illegal streaming operation have been arrested in the latest police crackdown. The group are accused of reselling premium streaming services including Netflix on the cheap. 2 Police raids were carried out in nine locations Credit: Alamy 2 Users gained cheap access to a number of top services like Netflix Credit: Getty Illegal streaming has become a massive problem for organisations like Sky and the Premier League as cyber crooks look to cash in on viewers frustrated by bill rises. Nine properties were raided in June as part of a coordinated anti-piracy effort by police in Germany. More than 100 officers were involved, covering areas of Munich and Hamburg. Police obtained an entire "server landscape" thought to be used to host the illegal streaming "IPTV" service, as well as a large number of mobile phones, USB sticks, game consoles, and backups of extensive cloud data. Read more on illegal streaming They also confiscated cash, gold coins, and cryptocurrencies worth over £432,000 that are believed to be linked to the accused crimes. Five men were arrested, including three 25-year-old Germans, a 25-year-old Austrian, and a 27-year-old Azerbaijani. Three of the five were remanded in custody initially. But an arrest warrant for a 25-year-old from Munich has since been lifted as police failed to confirm strong suspicion based on preliminary analysis of the seized data, Zentralstelle Cybercrime Bayern said. Most read in Tech However, one of the men faces more accusations, including inciting serious sexual abuse of children, producing child pornography and providing possession of child pornography. It comes months after a major illegal streaming site used by 22million to watch Sky Sports and more at a cut price was Police Crack Down on Illegal Sky Sports Streaming: Risks and Consequences The joint police, Europol and Eurojust operation spanned several countries across Europe with more than one hundred houses searched. Closer to home, an Stephen Woodward, 36, splashed out on designer clothes and jewellery, expensive holidays and a Jaguar F-Type V8 coupe worth £91,000 from his ill-gotten gains. He ran three websites - IPTV Hosting, Helix Hosting and Black and White TV - with access to Sky Sports and 4,500 other premium channels for a small fee. Stephen was sentenced to three years and one month in jail on July 11. Warning over 'jailbroken' Fire Sticks Illegal streaming can be delivered by a number of devices by one of the most common are 'jailbroken' Fire Sticks, which means a third-party media server software has been installed on to it. The software most commonly used is called Kodi. It can grant users unrestricted access to new features and apps the normal version of the device wouldn't allow – but it is not legal to use in the UK. But it becomes illegal when a box is used to stream subscription channels for free. It is also illegal to buy or sell these modified devices which have become known as "fully-loaded" - a term that describes how the software has been altered to allow access to subscription-only channels. 'These devices are legal when used to watch legitimate, free to air, content,' the government said at the time. 'They become illegal once they are adapted to stream illicit content, for example TV programmes, films and subscription sports channels without paying the appropriate subscriptions.'
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Yahoo
Is illegal streaming as bad as shoplifting? Yahoo readers have their say
Yahoo UK's poll of the week lets you vote and indicate your strength of feeling on one of the week's hot topics. After the poll closes, we'll publish and analyse the results each Friday, giving readers the chance to see how polarising a topic has become and if their view chimes with other Yahoo UK readers. As illegal streaming continues to rise, the law has begun to clamp down on serial offenders, and earlier this week, a man who ran an illegal TV streaming operation was jailed for more than three years. Stephen Woodward, 36, of Thirsk, North Yorkshire, made money by selling illegal access to copyrighted content, including sport. Woodward claimed to be making £100,000 a month through illegal streaming. As well as seizing £144,121 of cash, investigators secured an all-assets restraint order against a total of £1.1m held by Woodward. Sky customers who used Fire Sticks to illegally stream TV content have also been warned they face being cut off, if caught. And earlier this month, two people were arrested over allegations of illegal streaming following raids by the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police. As the cost of living continues to tighten purse strings, and streaming services clamp down on password sharing policies, it seems the U.K. has a loose sense of morality when it comes to streaming content illegally, from sports, to TV and movies. And now, a new Yahoo poll has backed up this assumption. In our poll earlier this week, Yahoo News UK asked our readers, "Is illegal streaming as bad as shoplifting?" It received 2,849 votes and showed 69% of Yahoo readers think illegal streaming is not as serious a crime as shoplifting. The poll's Have Your Say feature attracted some passionate comments, with many readers focusing on the rising cost of streaming. Jim H, from Glasgow, said: "If they brought it down to a reasonable price, people wouldn't need to pirate it, it's their own fault." Similarly, John M, from Dundee, said: "The cost of living today has made it near impossible for disabled people like me to ever afford to watch these things legally, that the state is turning a lot of us to criminals." The cost of living today has made it near impossible for disabled people like me to ever afford to watch these things legallyJohn M Renegade from Cornwall echoed the sentiments, saying: "People wouldn't feel the need to watch tv illegally if the price we pay to watch tv legally wasn't so expensive." Rick C from Nottinghamshire said that prices for legal streaming need to be more reasonable, "If the TV companies did not rip people off with there charges then more people would be prepared to pay (at a sensible cost)." Finghard from Bournemouth said the whole digital media industry was in desperate need of an overhaul saying, "If I have bought the original in any format I should be able to purchase the next for a nominal conversion price using the serial number from the hard copy I own. Why should I pay again and again for what I already own? This is one of the issues why people feel the need to carry out illegal ways to watch and listen to entertainment." Other readers took issue with the comparison between shoplifting and illegal streaming. Jason T from Newquay argued: "You aren't taking anything from anyone, plus people need to start cancelling subscriptions to send a message that the market is too fragmented and expensive and they need to move to the same model as music... Until the corporate greed stops. I fully support the piracy." Susan V from Ely adds: "Shop lifting is a quantifiable loss and effects more small shopkeepers more meaningfully than illegal streaming affects huge companies like Sky." On the other hand, there were some vocal critics of people who illegally stream content, pointing out the real world implications of the crime. Jim D from Birmingham said: "I can't abide media piracy. As someone with 25 years' experience in the creative industry, media piracy is blatant theft of ideas, hard work, and revenue. Look at the list of credits at the end of a movie to see how many livelihoods rely on a single project. "Only the creative industries are stolen from in this way. If piracy continues to be thought of as harmless and victimless, pretty soon there will be nothing new, creative, or innovative to watch, just AI slop." Media piracy is blatant theft of ideas, hard work, and D JR from South Yorkshire adds, "Funds from illegal streaming are used to support other crimes, such as drugs, child/sex trafficking etc. People only think about the cost to themselves, but don't think about the cost to society." Yahoo also asked, "Out of 10, how much of a law-abiding person are you?" The poll results showed that our readers saw themselves as preferring to stay on the right side of the law. This poll received 1,452 votes, with the most common vote being 9/10 and an average strength-of-feeling score of 6.59. This indicates many readers saw themselves as law-abiding citizens. However some comments were keen to point out that the punishments for illegal streaming don't match up to the severity of the crime. Ed M from Glasgow said, "Disgrace putting a man in prison who gave people who can't otherwise afford sky tv a cheaper option, these big companies are making billions off us consumers. They just can't get enough money off you." Owen J from Liverpool said, "Drug dealers get less than three years for selling drugs but it's ok for streaming services to extort people putting the price up each year and now there going stop people sharing passwords with family members." The dangers of piracy A government report published in November 2024 outlined the dangers of piracy, and how it affects the creative industries. Illegal streaming services often lack parental controls, and could put children at risk of exposure to unsuitable material. Illegal devices can be unsafe, as they are not required to be tested for UK safety standards. Illegal streaming is a copyright infringement and you are committing a crime. You can also put yourself at risk of data theft, malware, and fraud, particularly if you are sharing banking details with a streaming service. The creative industry employs more than 1.9m people and contributes £84.1 billion to the UK economy. By not paying for content you deprive the industry of money, and put the future of entertainment at risk. Buying and using illegal apps and devices funds organised crime. Crimestoppers say that 5 million people in the UK experienced a virus, fraud or personal data theft as a result of watching illegal streams, and 1.5 million people had money stolen from them as a result. Read more of Yahoo UK's Poll of the Week articles
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Yahoo
What are the punishments for illegal streaming?
Sky customers who used illegal Fire Sticks to stream content have been warned they face being cut off if caught. Two people were arrested over allegations of illegal streaming following raids by the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police earlier this month. A 30-year-old man is suspected of operating an illicit streaming service and a 32-year-old woman is accused of distributing copyrighted material and handling criminal property. The arrests were made as part of a clamp down on so-called 'dodgy' Amazon Fire Sticks, which are pre-loaded with premium content for sport, films and TV shows and accessed for free by users. Two residential properties in Oldbury and a data centre in Cheltenham were targeted in the recent raids. Matt Hibbert, group director of anti-piracy at Sky, said the company 'will continue to work alongside the police and industry partners to tackle piracy and disrupt the criminal networks behind it.' PIPCU said the arrests are a reminder that they 'will pursue criminals who seek to profit from illegal streaming and disrupt their operations.' What are the punishments for using illegal Fire Sticks? People who use Fire Sticks are technically committing fraud as they are using services without paying the rightful provider. Richard Meehan, senior associate of the commercial team at Myerson Solicitors, told Yahoo News UK that the law 'specifically makes it a criminal offence if you dishonestly receive a broadcast from a place in the UK with the intent to avoid payment of any charge'. Users may also face civil copyright infringement claims for watching unauthorised content. Meehan said 'there is no maximum level to the fine which can be imposed on an individual found guilty of the offence'. However, prosecution is rare for consumers and warnings or civil action, as seen in 2023 when the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) issued cease-and-desist letters to thousands of UK users, is more likely. Meehan explained that much of the enforcement is instead targeted at people selling the devices, as well as businesses showing illegal streams – such as football matched screened in pubs. However Meehan warned: 'individuals should not think that they are immune from prosecution.' What are the dangers of using illegal streaming devices? Using illegal streaming sticks comes with significant risks, particularly the threat of being hacked or scammed. These devices expose users to cybercriminals who exploit their lack of regulation. Malicious software embedded in these devices or their apps can steal personal data, such as bank details or login credentials, leaving users vulnerable to identity theft. These devices also often connect to servers that are prone to phishing scams that prompt users to enter payment details for 'subscriptions,' only to drain accounts or install ransomware. These sticks can also compromise home networks, allowing hackers to infiltrate other connected devices. According to data compiled by Crimestoppers, some five million users of illegal streaming sticks experienced fraud, a virus or data theft in 2024, while 2.8 million were hacked – up a third from the previous year. Another 1.5 million users had money stolen and 2.6 million had some sort of problem with their connected devices.
Scottish Sun
08-07-2025
- Scottish Sun
Illegal Sky Sports streaming sites hit by huge police raid with two people arrested in major crackdown
Find out about the dangers of illegal streaming everyone needs to be aware of STREAM OVER Illegal Sky Sports streaming sites hit by huge police raid with two people arrested in major crackdown Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) ILLEGAL streaming sites used to watch Sky Sports on the cheap have been hit by a major raid by police. Officers stormed three properties and arrested two people suspected of being involved in the operation. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 The operation was used to show Sky channels Credit: Getty Detectives from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police executed search warrants at two residential addresses in Oldbury, as well as a data centre located in Cheltenham during the early hours of July 3. They seized seven pieces of server tech alleged to have been used to distribute the content. It's believed that the latest crackdown effort has caused major disruption to a number of pirate services, police said. A 30-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of running the illegal streaming service. And a 32-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of distributing material infringing copyright and receiving criminal property. Police believe the pair received "significant profits" from running the operation. "This activity should serve as a reminder that PIPCU will pursue criminals who seek to profit from illegal streaming and disrupt their operations," said Detective Constable Daryl Fryatt, from City of London Police. "This is a crime that diverts funds away from the creative and entertainment industries, money that supports thousands of technical and support staff. "At the same time, it exposes end users to the risks of data theft, fraud and malware." Experts have repeatedly warned users that using IPTV services or dodgy modified Fire Sticks carry unexpected risks. IPTV Crackdown The main concern is fraud. One victim previously told The Sun that thousands was accessed from their bank account within minutes of signing up to one, in a bid to watch F1 on the cheap. "There were all sorts of transactions on my bank account for quite a large amount of money which were on various times and various dates for different amounts," he said. "It's scary really, they attempted thousands." A recent investigation by The Sun revealed how criminal gangs are easily advertising blatant illegal streaming services on Facebook. And criminal operators are even threatening to turn up at people's houses to install them. "We are extremely grateful to the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit for taking this action against a significant pirate operation," said Matt Hibbert, Group Director of Anti-Piracy at Sky. "We will continue to work alongside the police and industry partners to tackle piracy and disrupt the criminal networks behind it. "This action helps to keep consumers safe from the serious risks that piracy can pose to devices and personal property." The man and woman have since been released under investigation.
The Irish Sun
01-07-2025
- The Irish Sun
Brit fugitive behind £300k illegal football streaming operation is jailed for 5 years as police issue stark warning
A BRIT man who went on the run after being sentenced to five years behind bars for operating an illegal streaming service has finally be caught. And police have issued a stark warning to anyone offering the same services. 2 Service was used to stream Premier League games and more on the cheap Credit: Getty 2 Mark Brockley fled to Spain after being sentenced in May 2023 Credit: City of London Police Mark Brockley, 56, pocketed £300,000 for illegally streaming football games on the cheap, including Premier League, UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League matches. He ran aFINITY IPTV for around five years, between 2014 and 2019, with premium sport, movies and TV for as little as £15 a month. Brockley was arrested and later charged with fraud and copyright offences at Liverpool Crown Court in June 2021. After being released on police bail, he failed to appear at multiple court hearings, and sentencing proceeded in his absence in May 2023. Read more on illegal streaming He fled the country with his dog before being traced to an apartment block in Spain. The Brockley was released pending further investigation having appealed his extradition back to the UK, City of London Police said. But he failed to show up at multiple court hearings in Spain and was eventually identified as wanted by Spanish authorities. Most read in Tech Brockley was finally arrested at Barcelona Airport while attempting to board a flight to the UK on June 20. He was held in custody at Heathrow Airport and will now commence his five-year sentence. Major Illegal Streaming Network Shut Down Across Europe "This case is a clear example of how PIPCU, together with our national and international partners, will relentlessly pursue those seeking to profit from intellectual property crime," said Detective Constable Geoff Holbrook from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit at City of London Police. "Thanks to the joint efforts of the NCA, Europol and Interpol, Brockley has finally been brought to justice, despite his attempts to evade accountability." Warning over 'jailbroken' Fire Sticks Illegal streaming can be delivered by a number of devices by one of the most common are 'jailbroken' Fire Sticks, which means a third-party media server software has been installed on to it. The software most commonly used is called Kodi. It can grant users unrestricted access to new features and apps the normal version of the device wouldn't allow – but it is not legal to use in the UK. But it becomes illegal when a box is used to stream subscription channels for free. It is also illegal to buy or sell these modified devices which have become known as "fully-loaded" - a term that describes how the software has been altered to allow access to subscription-only channels. 'These devices are legal when used to watch legitimate, free to air, content,' the government said at the time. 'They become illegal once they are adapted to stream illicit content, for example TV programmes, films and subscription sports channels without paying the appropriate subscriptions.'
