If you use a dodgy set-top box to stream or download illegal content cyber criminals might be using you to make money, a new report has revealed.
The report, titled Cracking Down on Digital Piracy, was created by experts from the Intellectual Property Office (IPO), FACT, City of London Police, Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit, Police Scotland and Entura International.
It gives an insight into digital piracy criminality across the UK, and the ongoing crackdown to combat it.
The report found that over one million illegal set-top boxes with add-ons, were sold in the UK over the last two years, putting the public at risk from cyber criminals.
The majority of crooks behind digital piracy make their money from advertising, but the report also highligted a range of tactics used including subscription fees to access paid-for channels and charging other criminals to put malware on sites, giving hijackers access to users' devices.
The report estimates that hundreds of millions of pounds go to these criminal groups every year.
In a post on the FACT website, Kieron Sharp, Director General at FACT, said: "This report has come at a crucial time in our fight against digital piracy.
"A quarter of Brits access digital material illegally, and often don't realise the risks associated with that, for them and their families."
The report also highlights that the availability of illegal add-ons to Kodi software – which have no security standards or controls - has helped organised gangs reach a wider audience.
Kodi itself is not illegal, it is an open-source platform which allows users to download a range of program and video add-ons, but some of the most popular sources fall into that grey area between legal and illegal.
The report also found that social media streaming has overtaken web streaming, helping criminals attract more viewers and putting more users at risk from malware attacks.
The 'dark web' is also mentioned, in which more criminal gangs are using the hidden part of the internet to sell illicit information, such as the customer data they've acquired through malware.
READ MORE: Why we all need to worry about the dark web
Also mentioned in the report are two Scottish cases involving a fulfilment house in Glasgow which was raided in 2016 in a joint operation by Police Scotland and Glasgow City Council Trading Standards officers.
During the search officers uncovered illicit streaming devices along with various other counterfeit electrical goods including iPhones and chargers. The fulfilment house was being run by Chinese nationals and items were being sold by various sellers in the UK on eBay.
And in March this year, Gavin Gray (pictured above), a 25-year-old man from Bellshill, pleaded guilty to four charges of fraud and copyright offences. He was running a card-sharing operation which he advertised on dedicated websites and forums, supplying illegal access to premium channels to customers across Scotland.
READ MORE: Man, 25, first in Scotland convicted of TV broadcasts 'card sharing'
When police searched his home they found £44,500 hidden in a safe in his loft, and later seized another £80,000 from his bank account.
Read the full report here: Cracking Down on Digital Piracy Report
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