Police are now tricking illegal Fire Stick users as crackdown continues - there’s ‘nowhere to hide’ | OneFootball

It’s reported that around four million people in the UK could be illegally streaming

Police are now tricking illegal Fire Stick users as their Operation Eider crackdown continues.

The use of modified Amazon Fire Sticks to stream premium content without paying has become a widespread issue for police forces across the UK.

So-called 'dodgy' devices allow access to channels like Sky Sports, EFL's iFollow, Netflix, Disney+ and TNT Sports for a fraction of the cost, often just £50 a year.

For example, Netflix UK prices range from £5.99 to £18.99 per month depending on the plan, which works out at £71.88 to £227.88 per year.

It’s reported that around four million people in the UK could be illegally streaming, according to government body the Intellectual Property Office.

As police intensify their nationwide efforts, users are now facing increasing pressure to cease their activities or risk severe consequences, as per a fresh interview conducted by The Daily Mail.

How Police are tricking illegal Fire Stick users in the UK

A senior police officer at the heart of the crackdown has revealed in the aforementioned interview that forces now have new tricks up their sleeves to pinpoint households using said devices.

They explained that banks could soon be forced to disclose customer details via statements that show purchases of these devices.

As well as bank statements, when the police raid a dealer's home, they are apparently on the lookout for lists of names they may have sold the devices to.

This reportedly leaves illegal Fire Stick users with ‘nowhere to hide’, the officer warned.

As per the report, the first sign you may be in some trouble is if the person you bought the device from stops replying to messages or goes inactive.

Coordinated by the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT), backed by the film and video industry, Operation Eider has expanded to cover vast areas of the UK, which have all been named.

16 areas of the UK impacted by illegal Fire Stick crackdown Operation Eider

Said areas named by The Daily Mail as being impacted by Operation Eider are: London, Cheshire, Kent, Sussex, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire, Staffordshire, the East and West Midlands, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Northumbria, North Yorkshire, Scotland and Wales.

After it was mentioned that the police can now enforce greater punishment for those found using 'dodgy' Fire Sticks, the officer being interviewed emphasised, 'We are relentless in our determination to stop illegal streaming and bring offenders to justice.'

Penalties for this reportedly range from stern warnings to thousands in fines or even prison time.

Beyond prosecution, 'cyber experts' highlighted how fake Fire Sticks expose users to compromised passwords or internet connections.

As for the dealers, well, they have faced actual sentences. The Daily Mail took one example of someone found guilty of selling dodgy fire sticks on Facebook - he was sentenced to three years and four months in prison.

Clearly, the authorities are spending a lot of effort in trying to put a stop to this.