Police and anti-fraud teams have been raiding homes across 17 UK areas including Merseyside as part of a crackdown
Criminals mess with the devices to enable them to provide unauthorised access to Sky, Netflix and other streaming platforms(Image: Getty Images)
Police forces and fraud prevention units have been targeting users of modified Amazon Fire Sticks across Britain. These altered devices have been making their way into households nationwide, offering unauthorised access to premium television content without subscription fees.
Fire Sticks serve as media streaming gadgets that permit viewers to watch videos, listen to music, and download applications directly onto their televisions. Criminal networks manipulate these devices to grant illegal entry to exclusive content from established broadcasters including Sky, BT Sport, Disney+ and Netflix.
Amazon’s newest Fire Stick iteration has presented significant challenges for those attempting to illegally stream programming. The company launched its latest Fire TV Stick several months back, coinciding with Amazon’s global anti-piracy initiative.
A National Trading Standards representative previously cautioned: “Accessing pirated content through illegal TV fire sticks undermines the UK’s entertainment industry, putting its talented workforce and supply chains at risk by depriving them of fair earnings and revenue. It also puts consumers at risk by exposing them to illegal software that can put their data and bank details in jeopardy.
“An important reminder to all those who buy and sell TV firesticks is that crime does not pay, it breaches copyright law and we encourage people to report suspected cases to the Citizens Advice consumer service.”
It’s estimated that nearly five million individuals throughout the UK have utilised unlawful sports streaming services, with bodies such as the Premier League, Sky and FACT (Federation Against Copyright Theft) working alongside law enforcement to eradicate this activity.
Individuals caught illegally streaming face penalties reaching thousands of pounds, alongside the possibility of imprisonment for up to 12 months. More severe consequences await those discovered selling such equipment.
During 2024, Jonathan Edge, aged 29 at the time, from Anfield Road in Liverpool, was handed a 40-month custodial sentence for distributing Firestick devices that allowed customers to unlawfully access Premier League football fixtures. Meanwhile in 2025, Sunny Kanda, then 40, from Creek View in Halifax, received a two-year jail term relating to “supplying and distributing TV fire sticks and concealing bank transfers linked to criminal activity”.
Law enforcement agencies, anti-piracy groups and broadcasting companies have been working to dismantle this market through financial penalties and property searches.
Detective Chief Inspector Emma Warbey, from the City of London Police’s Intellectual Property Crime Unit, cautioned: “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.
“This is a crime that diverts funds away from the 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, cybercrime and fraud. This research is crucial for helping us understand those dangers and why initiatives like BeStreamWise matter.
“They give the public the tools and knowledge to stay safe online and enjoy content legally and securely. We will continue to work collaboratively to ensure that this activity is disrupted and those involved are held to account.”
Those supplying and watching content could face penalties reaching £50,000 for utilising modified Fire Sticks to unlawfully access Sky and Premier League programming, FACT has cautioned. Whilst those consuming illegal streams might encounter more lenient sanctions, they could still be landed with fines stretching into thousands of pounds.
Unauthorised streaming can be obtained through numerous gadgets, but amongst the most common approaches involves “jailbroken” Fire Sticks, which have been fitted with third-party media server applications. Kodi represents the most commonly utilised software.
Purchasing or distributing these altered gadgets is equally unlawful. These have earned the moniker “fully-loaded” devices, terminology that describes how the software has been modified to grant entry to premium-only channels.
A government spokesperson previously stated: “These devices are legal when used to watch legitimate, free-to-air content. They become illegal once they are adapted to stream illicit content, for example TV programmes, films and subscription sports channels without paying the appropriate subscriptions.”
The recent clampdown has stretched beyond Britain’s borders into Ireland, where officials delivered legal notices to 13 unauthorised IPTV providers across the nation, ordering them to halt their unlawful streaming activities without delay or face severe consequences, including possible criminal prosecution.
The 13 formal notices were served throughout Dublin, Cork, Donegal, Offaly, Limerick, Louth, Clare, Westmeath and Laois. Delivered in person, by mail and via email, the action proved successful, resulting in services being shut down, social media profiles being deleted, memberships being cancelled and monetary agreements being secured.
Kieron Sharp, Chairman of FACT, commented: “Together with our partners we will continue to identify and take action against Illegal IPTV service providers. They are breaking the law, making criminal profits and putting consumers at real risk of malware, data loss and identity theft.
“We want to protect consumers from these risks and operations such as this ensure the message goes out. It is not scaremongering; these are real criminal actions which consumers and their families are exposed to. These investigations and operations will continue this new year.”
17 UK areas targeted in ‘dodgy’ Fire Stick crackdown
- London
- Kent
- Sussex
- Norfolk
- Northamptonshire
- Lincolnshire
- Derbyshire
- Staffordshire
- East and West Midlands
- Greater Manchester
- Cheshire
- Merseyside
- Northumbria
- North Yorkshire
- South Wales
- North East England
- North West England
Amazon has rolled out new safeguards to tackle illegal streaming on their gadgets with the latest iteration of the Fire Stick. The brand-new Fire TV Stick 4K Select will operate on an alternative system called Vega OS.
This development means altered Android apps will no longer work on updated models, as the ability to install third-party applications will be eliminated. Amazon confirmed that solely programmes from the Amazon Appstore on Fire TV will be accessible for download “for enhanced security” in what marks a significant hurdle for those creating such modifications.
“Piracy is illegal, and we’ve always worked to block it from our Appstore,” an Amazon spokesperson said. “Through an expanded program led by the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), a global coalition fighting digital piracy, we’ll now block apps identified as providing access to pirated content, including those downloaded from outside our Appstore.
“This builds on our ongoing efforts to support creators and protect customers, as piracy can also expose users to malware, viruses, and fraud.”