Austrian police have arrested 20 people linked to a pirate IPTV networkthat decrypted copyrighted broadcasts and streamed them to thousands of customersbetween 2016 and 2023.
What is a pirate IPTV network?;
A pirate IPTV network is a network that provides pirated IPTV content to users . IPTV refers to the transmission of television content over the Internet Protocol (IP). In the case of pirated IPTV networks, the content provided does not have the legal license or rights to be distributed by the specific platform. This means that the content provided may be pirated movies , series, sports events, and other television programs that violate copyright.
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Pirate IPTV networks usually operate using special software or applications that allow users to access pirated IPTV content. Users can watch this content on various devices, such as televisions, mobile phones, computers and other devices that support IPTV reception and playback.
Arrest of perpetrators
The investigation into the network began after a complaint in Germany, which led to the discovery of the illegal operation involving 80 perpetrators (all Turkish citizens).
The piracy ring operated in a hierarchy of suppliers, who decrypted and provided television signals, while there were also resellers, who purchased access to the signal for up to $50/year and resold it to end customers for up to $200/year.
The perpetrators also tried to promote the illegal IPTV network through Facebook ads, but in order to avoid detection, they mainly utilized the "word of mouth" approach, with many customers turning into resellers, which made them members of the circuit.
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According to police, 15 resellers and three suppliers were identified in Austria. Each of the resellers had between 300 and 2,500 customers, who paid theman annual subscription for access to the illegal programs.
The arrests took place in Vienna, Lower Austria, Salzburg, Vorarlberg and Tyrol. Authorities seized the following:
- 1.6 million euros from 60 bank accounts
- 35 servers used for signal decryption and IPTV feed distribution
- An Audi A7 luxury car
- 55 computer systems, hard drives and smartphones
" The main perpetrators owned luxury properties, sports cars, as well as numerous companies, clubs and private associations ," the Austrian police said in a statement
“Some of the illegally earned money was used for legitimate investments, thus introducing suppliers into the higher economic cycle“.
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Those arrested pleaded guilty to fraud, money laundering and violation of copyright laws.
The remaining members of the criminal group are in Germany, where the center of the illegal operations was located.
Source: www.bleepingcomputer.com
