ILLEGAL streamers have been warned IPTV services are a false economy with many users losing thousands to fraud.
New research suggests around 40 per cent of people who turn to illegal streaming to watch Premier League games and other premium TV end up losing money to cyber con-artists.
An average of £1,680 is stolen when signing up to so-called IPTV services compared to the savings users say they make of just £13 a month by not paying for subscriptions, according to BeStreamWise.
And one in 10 people lost more than £7,500, according to a poll of 2,000 Brits.
“Illegal streaming might look like a quick way to save money, but as this research shows, it’s a false economy that can end up costing people thousands,” warned Detective Chief Inspector Emma Warbey for the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police.
“This is a crime that diverts funds away from the entertainment industries – money that supports thousands of technical and support staff.
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“At the same time, it exposes end users to the risks of data theft, cyber crime and fraud.”
The urgent caution comes just days after The Sun found determined illegal streamers are now on the hunt for alternative devices after Amazon announced a major ban on such apps being used via “dodgy” modified Fire Sticks.
Side-loaded illegal streaming apps on Fire Sticks have been rife for years.
But makers Amazon recently announced changes that would make it impossible to load them.
This has prompted viewers hellbent on avoiding legal streaming costs to look elsewhere.
One victim, who’s chosen to go by the name of David for privacy reasons, revealed to BeStreamWise how his bank was accessed twice after signing up to an illegal streaming site.
“I used to think I was just bending the rules a bit by streaming illegally,” he said.
“But when my bank details were stolen twice and someone even tried to buy a speedboat in my name, it put everything into perspective.
“It’s not just your money at stake, you’re playing into the hands of real criminals. Once I understood that, I stopped immediately.”
Almost two thirds (65 per cent) polled said they had a security scare when doing illegally streaming in the past year, such as malware and malicious pop-ups.
“It’s easy to assume that you’re saving money by accessing illegal streams, but the reality is that criminals use these as a way of stealing your personal details and passwords,” said Rob Shapland, an ethical hacker with 16 years’ experience in cyber security.
“The primary goal of these criminals is to get access to your credit card details or bank account.
“The moment you plug in a modified device to your TV, or download an illegal streaming app on your phone or tablet, you’ve done all the hard work for them.”
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“Bottom line, it was about time, and it is the right thing to do,” he told The Sun.
“There’s much more the industry can do as a whole.
“More and more people are streaming illegally, and in many cases, they think the services are genuine.
“Sports is typically the genre that generates the most attention, given the escalating costs.
“With moves towards direct-to-consumer services online, the issue will only proliferate.
“Everyone has to do their part to address this problem, which is costing the industry a lot of money.”
