How you actually get caught for using a dodgy Fire Stick

How you actually get caught for using a dodgy Fire Stick

Authorities have numerous ways to catch you using an illegal streaming service.

Connor Parker

Updated

Fri, February 6, 2026 at 10:50 AM UTC

5 min read

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.

Illegal streaming services are growing in the UK.(Anna Quelhas)

With the ever-rising cost of watching your favourite TV show or your football team in the Premier League, the temptation to get an illegal streaming service has never been higher.

But the increased police focus on the issue has led to warnings that it is not worth taking the risk.

The boom in people buying so-called "dodgy" Fire Sticks or boxes has led to a surge in illegal streaming services that present themselves like Netflix or Amazon Prime but offer a huge catalogue of pirated shows as well as most live sports.

They often function as an app loaded onto an Amazon Fire Stick that is then connected to a TV, but they can also be used through a laptop or another device. Crucially the subscription fees are significantly lower than the going rate of the media companies.

Their popularity has also led to them being seen as fair play for the general public, with the Sports Industry Report 2026 reporting last month that almost 60% of respondents think illegal streaming is acceptable.

But their rise has sparked a backlash, with the Premier League and other organisations funding private investigations into service operators as well as funding private organisations to assist police.

The Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) is the largest body in the UK that collects information about illegal streaming and compiles it to be handed to relevant police forces.

FACT chairman Kieron Sharp told Yahoo News, "I can see why people would be tempted", but added, "it's not worth the risk."

How do police catch you for using a dodgy Fire Stick?

Sharp said the usual way authorities find out about people using illegal streaming devices is by seizing the customer information of providers when they get investigated by the police.

Most of the policing effort in dealing with illegal streaming services is directed at providers rather than users.

Several high-profile cases have been prosecuted in recent years, with numerous providers being handed years in prison for hosting illegal streaming services.

As part of evidence collection, police often find the details of the provider's customers.

Sharp also said there were other ways to find users, which his organisation collects and passes onto the police.

He said information is passed to them from broadcasters or other providers connected to the streaming when they find information that suggests someone is illegally streaming.

People also contact Crimestoppers or FACT directly to inform on their neighbours "because they're paying the service and then seeing somebody else who isn't and that does frustrate people".

He said FACT will collect all of this information and create an "intelligence product", which is then "analysed and then it gives us an indication of where the majority of the streaming might be taking place or where the most people who provide information about illegal streaming are taking place."

FACT will then pass the information onto the relevant police authority, who will then decide what course of action to take.

What's going to happen if you get caught?

The first course of action is a warning letter, sometimes sent from FACT, sometimes sent from the relevant police force.

He said: "We're very keen not to criminalise everybody and do not want to prosecute everybody."

The main focus of police operations is against providers, and Sharp said he was not aware of any prosecution being brought to court for someone who only used these services.

It can host hundreds of pounds a year to watch every game your favourite team plays. — It can host hundreds of pounds a year to follow your football team on TV.(Zoonar/Dmitri Maruta, Zoonar GmbH)

Sharp said the only time he was aware of someone being prosecuted for being a user was when they were charged with consuming illegal streaming content alongside charges relating to them providing services.

Jonathan Edge, 29, accepted cash in hand at his home in Liverpool when selling Fire Sticks loaded with illegal streaming content. In 2024, he pleaded guilty and was jailed for three years and four months.

Despite this, it is still possible for someone to be charged just for using an illegal streaming service, in which case they can face an unlimited fine or up to a year in prison.

What other risks are there with using a dodgy Fire Stick?

According to Sharp, along with the potential legal consequences, there was a host of other risks involved with using an illegal streaming service.

He said these include opening yourself up to "phishing, scam, theft, age-inappropriate content, viruses, malware and so on".

He also said he was aware of one illegal service provider that took down their platform without warning, and in situations like this, a user has no legal recourse to reclaim their money.

Sharp added: "The main one really is about the money that goes back to the rights holders and broadcasters because if they're not paid for the services that they provide, they won't be able to provide those services in the future."

According to data compiled by Crimestoppers, some five million users of illegal streaming sticks experienced fraud, a virus or data theft in 2024, while 2.8 million were hacked – up a third from the previous year.

Another 1.5 million users had money stolen and 2.6 million had some sort of problem with their connected devices.

When asked if saving hundreds of pounds on watching your favourite team in the Champions League was worth opting for an illegal streaming service, Sharp said.

About Our Ads

Source