Police have issued a warning to people who illegally stream Sky TV to access the broadcaster’s premium content, saying that they are paying towards a ‘form of organised crime’.
Police in the UK have carried out a string of raids as part of a crackdown on illegal streaming, having now arrested four people and issued warnings to hundreds more.
Last month, officers raided homes in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Stoke and London as part of efforts to take down a streaming service that allegedly sold IPTV (Internet Protocol TV) devices, which serve as a cheap, pirated way of accessing content including live football coverage, Sky TV channels and films.
The service is believed to have had an estimated 500,000 users.
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Detective Inspector Andy Maclean, of Police Scotland’s Cyber Investigation Department, said: “Anyone tempted to purchase one of these IPTV services should be aware that their money is going towards a fraudulent scheme, and they might well find themselves having a visit from police or other authorities.
“Money from such activities are often used to fund other crime, so people need to be aware of that.
“This is, without doubt, a form of organised crime.”
In the string of raids, police seized computer equipment, laptops and mobile phones from four premises.
One of the people arrested has been charged with intellectual property theft, while three more have been released pending investigation.
