Fraudsters using dodgy firesticks to steal illegal streamers’ financial information

Social media is awash with fake Amazon fire sticks, devices promising thousands of premium TV channels for as little as £40.

The police have stepped up efforts to crack down on those who distribute and use them, meaning serial offenders are at risk of being prosecuted.

However, what illegal streamers may not realise is that they are also at risk of losing out financially, as the devices can leave their information exposed to fraudsters. 

Dodgy fire sticks promise to save users money on rising subscription costs, but they come with hidden risks that leave people further out of pocket than if they paid for the services legitimately.

A new study by cross-industry initiative BeStreamWise reveals that two in five illegal fire stick users are targeted by financial fraudsters, who use personal information and passwords linked to their online streaming profiles to raid their bank accounts.

Dodgy devices: Two in five illegal streamers have lost money to criminals 

Two-thirds of those surveyed say they have had ‘near misses’ from malware or malicious pop-ups whilst watching content on their illegal device.

For some illegal fire stick users, these attempts turn into real losses. David*, whose name has been changed, says he thought he was just ‘bending the rules a bit’ by streaming illegally.

‘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,’ he says. 

‘Once I understood that, I stopped immediately.’

The average amount stolen was £1,680, while 11 per cent of people who used the devices lost more than £7,500, far more than the average ‘savings’ illegal streamers make of £13.38 a month, or £160 a year.

Usually, the small device which plugs into the back of your TV has manufactured and sold by Amazon, but later tampered with or cloned by criminals.

Ethical hacker Rob Shapland said: ‘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. 

‘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.’

Earlier this week, the police arrested four people on suspicion of being part of an illegal sports streaming gang, alleged to be making hundreds of thousands of pounds a year.

Specialist officers seized digital devices, and the individuals were taken in for alleged copyright and money laundering offences, according to The Athletic.

While the authorities are targeting criminal gangs, they are also starting to create a list of people who use the sticks illegally. 

Fact (the Federation Against Copyright Theft) and the police are targeting up to 20 areas, including London, Greater Manchester and Merseyside.

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