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Man jailed for 3 years as crackdown on use of 'dodgy' Fire Sticks in the UK continues
He sold nearly 2,000 subscriptions and pre-loaded Firesticks, generating more than £200,000 before pleading guilty to fraud offences.
- Swansea Crown Court sentenced Michael Barrow, operator of the 'MB Streams' IPTV service, to three years and two months on Monday, June 1, after he pleaded guilty to three Fraud Act offences for selling illegal subscriptions to almost 2,000 customers.
- Barrow's 'criminal operation' generated more than £200,000 through pre-loaded Firesticks and subscriptions, which the judge described as 'large-scale, highly sophisticated and prolonged commercial fraud' after he ignored a cease and desist notice.
- The Premier League prosecuted with support from the Federation Against Copyright Theft and TARIAN Regional Organised Crime Unit. FACT chairman Kieron Sharp called it a 'deliberate and sustained criminal operation' that exposed users to serious risks.
- Stefan Sergot, Director of legal enforcement at the Premier League, said the sentence 'highlights the severe consequences for individuals involved in supplying illegal streaming services,' noting piracy exposes fans to fraud, malware, and identity theft.
- Around 39% of illegal streamers in the UK suffer financial losses due to cybercrime, according to BeStreamWise, with one in ten losing more than £5,000 as authorities continue targeting 'dodgy boxes' as a 'serious crime.
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