Latest news with #PoliceIntellectualPropertyCrimeUnit
Daily Record
15-07-2025
- Daily Record
Sky warns illegal 'firestick' streamers they face being cut off after raids on homes and data centre
Detectives from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit executed search warrants in the early hours as Sky pledges to smash the streamers Sky has issued a stern warning to illegal streamers following a series of early morning raids. The Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police carried out search warrants at two homes earlier this month. The operations are part of an initiative to clamp down on the widespread illegal streaming of sports and premium channels, often facilitated by devices such as 'dodgy' or 'fully loaded' Amazon Firesticks. The recent raids targeted two residential properties in Oldbury and a data centre in Cheltenham during 'the early hours'. Matt Hibbert, Group Director of Anti-Piracy at Sky, has indicated that further measures are imminent: "We are extremely grateful to the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit for taking this action against a significant pirate operation. "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." A 30-year-old man suspected of operating the illicit streaming service and a 32-year-old woman accused of distributing copyrighted material and handling criminal property were arrested by the police. PIPCU's investigation suggests that the duo made substantial gains from their illegal enterprise. Seven servers, instrumental in the distribution of pirated content, were confiscated from a data centre. Police have expressed their belief that the operation has significantly disrupted numerous pirate services, reports Teesside Live. Subsequently, a business property in West Bromwich was raided, resulting in the seizure of documents and computers for detailed analysis. Detective Constable Daryl Fryatt from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police commented: "This activity should serve as a reminder that PIPCU will pursue criminals who seek to profit from illegal streaming and disrupt their operations. "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." The illicit service provided unauthorised access to Sky channels. BeStreamWise reports that approximately one in three individuals in the UK who engage in illegal streaming admit that they, or someone they know, have fallen prey to fraud or identity theft as a consequence. Following the events, the man and woman implicated have been released while under investigation.
Daily Record
14-07-2025
- Daily Record
Sky households may see viewing disrupted amid crackdown on illegal streaming
Sky is working alongside authorities to disrupt cyber crooks and shut down unofficial streaming services. With many streaming services requiring a monthly fee to access their content, this can lead to a hefty sum come payday. When you add all the TV packages and apps together, it's a significant amount of money leaving your bank account each month. Therefore, it is perhaps not too surprising that millions of people have moved to using illegal streams instead. Many people viewing content like this have a 'dodgy' or 'broken' Fire TV Stick. These popular but illegal devices offer many households the chance to watch their favourite sports channels, tv series, and films for a single yearly payment, which is a fraction of the overall annual payment for all the streaming services. However, with so many people making the switch so they don't need to pay their regular content fees, it hasn't gone unnoticed by the affected content providers. Major TV services, as well as the authorities, are warning customers about the dangers of illegal streaming, reports the Mirror. And they aren't stopping there, by working together they are also cracking down on unofficial streaming services so they can protect households from being attacked by cyber crooks. In the latest crackdown, it has been confirmed that an illegal streaming platform has been completely disrupted, with two people in their 30s being arrested. Searches of two residential addresses in Oldbury and a data centre in Cheltenham were carried out by a team from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU). From this, a man and woman were taken into custody - a 30-year-old man who was suspected of running the illegal streaming service and a 32-year-old woman suspected of distributing material infringing copyright and receiving criminal property. PIPCU's investigation suggests that both the man and woman received significant profits from this illegal service. As well as the arrests, any content servers were also seized, which means those who signed up for the service will no longer receive any of their 'free' content. Detective Constable Daryl Fryatt from the PIPCU at City of London Police spoke on the latest arrests, saying: "This activity should serve as a reminder that PIPCU will pursue criminals who seek to profit from illegal streaming and disrupt their operations. "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." Matt Hibbert, Sky's group director of anti-piracy, said: "We are extremely grateful to the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit for taking this action against a significant pirate operation. "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." There are many dangers that come with choosing to stream content illegally, whether that be through a dodgy Fire TV Stick device or especially created websites. Using these services can potentially expose a household to vicious malware and inappropriate content. On top of this, many of these devices can often fund criminal gangs. While it is highly unlikely that anyone using the illegal stream will ever face jail time for their actions, it may be worth considering the added risks that come with it.
Edinburgh Live
13-07-2025
- Edinburgh Live
Sky TV block as new police clampdown stops UK homes from watching for free
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info The trend of millions of viewers ditching monthly fees for premium TV and resorting to illegal streams is no secret. Devices such as the so-called "dodgy Fire TV Sticks" have surged in popularity, offering full access to sports and films for a modest annual payment - some even provide streams for free. Naturally, this rise in viewing without paying the appropriate fees hasn't slipped under the radar. Authorities and content providers are not only cautioning consumers about the risks of illegal streaming but also attempting to shut down unofficial streaming services, and the latest clampdown has done just that. It's been confirmed that a recent operation has completely disrupted an illegal streaming platform, with two individuals in their 30s also being arrested. A team from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) conducted searches at two residential addresses in Oldbury and a data centre in Cheltenham, reports the Mirror. A 30 year old man, suspected of operating the illegal streaming service, and a 32 year old woman, suspected of distributing copyright-infringing material and receiving criminal property, were both taken into custody. A PIPCU investigation suggests that the man and woman made substantial profits from the service. In addition to making those arrests, content servers have also been seized, meaning they are no longer transmitting streams to those who may have subscribed. Detective Constable Daryl Fryatt, from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police, issued a stark warning following the recent arrests, saying: "This activity should serve as a reminder that PIPCU will pursue criminals who seek to profit from illegal streaming and disrupt their operations. 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." Additionally, Matt Hibbert, Group Director of Anti-Piracy at Sky, expressed his thanks: "We are extremely grateful to the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit for taking this action against a significant pirate operation." He also stated Sky's commitment to the fight against piracy: "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." Streaming content illegally comes with various concerns and risks to households. While the likelihood of jail time for viewers of illegal streams is minimal, there is more to be concerned about. Risks associated with the use of unauthorised Fire TV Sticks and other streaming apparatus include exposure to malware and inappropriate content. It's also worth considering that such methods often contribute financially to criminal operations, making the seemingly attractive deals far from risk-free.
Daily Mirror
13-07-2025
- Daily Mirror
Sky TV block as new crackdown disrupts UK homes from watching content for free
Homes streaming Sky for free may find their viewing is suddenly disrupted. It's no secret that millions of us have switched away from paying a monthly fee for watching premium TV and moved to illegal streams instead. Devices such as so-called 'dodgy Fire TV Sticks' have boomed in popularity with many offering full access to sports and movies for a small yearly payment - some even show streams for free. Of course, this rise in viewing without paying the correct fees hasn't gone unnoticed. Authorities and content providers are not only warning consumers about the dangers of streaming illegally but also trying to shut down unofficial streaming services, and the latest crackdown has done exactly that. It's been confirmed that a recent operation has fully disrupted an illegal streaming platform, with two people in their 30s also arrested. A team from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) searched two residential addresses in Oldbury and a data centre in Cheltenham. A 30-year-old man, who they suspect ran the illegal streaming service, and a 32-year-old woman who is suspected of distributing material infringing copyright and receiving criminal property were both taken into custody. An investigation by PIPCU suggests that the man and woman received significant profits derived from the service. Along with making those arrests, content servers have also been seized, which means they are no longer transmitting streams to those who may have signed up. Speaking about the latest arrests, Detective Constable Daryl Fryatt, from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police, said: 'This activity should serve as a reminder that PIPCU will pursue criminals who seek to profit from illegal streaming and disrupt their operations. 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.' And Matt Hibbert, Group Director of Anti-Piracy at Sky, added: 'We are extremely grateful to the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit for taking this action against a significant pirate operation. "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.' What are the dangers of streaming content illegally? There are plenty of concerns about homes watching content without using official channels. Although it's highly unlikely that anyone viewing illegal streams will ever face jail time, it's worth remembering that using dodgy Fire TV Sticks or other streaming devices can expose people to malware and inappropriate content. It's also often funding criminal gangs so whilst it might seem like a good deal it does not come risk free.
The Irish Sun
08-07-2025
- The Irish Sun
Illegal Sky Sports streaming sites hit by huge police raid with two people arrested in major crackdown
ILLEGAL streaming sites used to watch Sky Sports on the cheap have been hit by a major police raid. Officers stormed three properties and arrested two people suspected of being involved in the operation. 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. Read more about Sky Sports 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. Most read in Tech "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 Crackdown The main concern is fraud. One victim previously told The Sun that "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 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. RISKS FROM ILLEGAL STREAMING AND DOWNLOADS People streaming content illegally are at risk of fraud and other dangers when using dodgy TV devices. But that's not the only possible consequence. They can slow down your broadband connection and affect other gadgets around your home too. "Illegal streaming isn't just unsafe, it's actively harmful," said Liz Bales, CEO of the British Association for Screen Entertainment (BASE), and The Industry Trust for IP. "Devices used for piracy are often infected with hidden malware, leading to crashing apps, severely disrupted performance, and compromised home networks. "This puts personal data and entire households at risk." Image credit: Getty
