Ahead of the holiday season, people who have bought cheap Amazon Fire TV Sticks or similar devices online should be aware that some of them could let cybercriminals access personal data, bank accounts, and even steal money.
BeStreamWise, a UK initiative established to counter illegal streaming, says the rise of illicit streaming devices preloaded with software that bypasses licensing and offers “free” films, sports, and TV comes with a risk.
Dodgy stick streaming typically involves preloaded or modified devices, frequently Amazon Fire TV Sticks, sold with unauthorized apps that connect to pirated content streams. These apps unlock premium subscription content like films, sports, and TV shows without proper licensing.
The main risks of using dodgy streaming sticks include:
- Legal risks: Mostly for sellers, but in some cases for users too
- Exposure to inappropriate content: Unregulated apps lack parental controls and may expose younger viewers to explicit ads or unsuitable content.
- Growing countermeasures: Companies like Amazon are actively blocking unauthorized apps and updating firmware to prevent illegal streaming. Your access can disappear overnight because it depends on illegal channels.
- Malware: These sticks, and the unofficial apps that run on them, often contain malware—commonly in the form of spyware.
BeStreamWise warns specifically about “modded Amazon Fire TV Sticks.” Reporting around the campaign notes that around two in five illegal streamers have fallen prey to fraud, likely linked to compromised hardware or the risky apps and websites that come with illegal streaming.
According to BeStreamWise, citing Dynata research:
“1 in 3 (32%) people who illegally stream in the UK say they, or someone they know, have been a victim of fraud, scams, or identity theft as a result.”
Victims lost an average of almost £1,700 (about $2,230) each. You could pay for a lot of legitimate streaming services with that. But it’s not just money that’s at stake. In January, The Sun warned all Fire TV Stick owners about an app that was allegedly “stealing identities,” showing how easily unsafe apps can end up on modified devices.
And if it’s not the USB device that steals your data or money, then it might be the website you use to access illegal streams. FACT highlights research from Webroot showing that:
“Of 50 illegal streaming sites analysed, every single one contained some form of malicious content – from sophisticated scams to extreme and explicit content.”
So, from all this we can conclude that illegal streaming is not the victimless crime that many assume it is. It creates victims on all sides: media networks lose revenue and illegal users can lose far more than they bargained for.
How to stay safe
The obvious advice here is to stay away from illegal streaming and be careful about the USB devices you plug into your computer or TV. When you think about it, you’re buying something from someone breaking the law, and hoping they’ll treat your data honestly.
There are a few additional precautions you can take though:
If you have already used a USB device or visited a website that you don’t trust:
- Update your anti-malware solution.
- Disconnect from the internet to prevent any further data being sent.
- Run a full system scan for malware.
- Monitor your accounts for unusual activity.
- Change passwords and/or enable multifactor authentication (MFA/2FA) on the important ones.
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