A BBC expert has warned that people using so-called "dodgy Fire Sticks" to watch premium TV without paying could face hefty fines, while those selling the devices risk prison. Former detective Rav Wilding appeared on BBC Morning Live to reveal that police are now trawling through the accounts of sellers to track down those who have paid for illegal streaming devices.
Police trace buyers through seller accounts
These gadgets are typically sold on social media or online marketplaces for between £30 and £100, often bundled with a 12-to-24-month subscription to pirate services. Mr Wilding said: "It is actually a crime and it can have a nasty fine, a huge fine and also a custodial sentence for users and sellers of these things."
Mr Wilding said: "Police are cracking down on this. It's estimated up to 4 million people or households have got these items at the moment. All of them using them illegally. They're going for the distributors. They're going for the sellers, those that are selling these devices. They are having a lot of success. But actually, once they've got the seller, they're going through their accounts."
Raids triggered by providers
He revealed that police forces across the UK are now conducting raids, triggered by internet service providers and streamers such as Sky. He told viewers: "Some of the subscription service providers themselves are losing money to this, so they have been reaching out and are taking action against those people using them illegally as well, so I wouldn't say it's something you should do. It is actually a crime and it can have a nasty fine, a huge fine and also a custodial sentence for users and sellers of these things."
The crackdown is being co-ordinated by the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT), with police forces across the UK now enforcing harsher penalties against those caught using the illicit devices. Those who bought a dodgy stick to save a few quid could end up considerably worse off – and even staring down the barrel of a prison sentence.
