UK Police Trace ‘Dodgy Firestick’ Buyers Through Seller Bank Accounts

Last Updated on November 6, 2026 by Ethan Parker

Police across the UK are now following the money from illegal Fire TV Stick sellers to the people who bought from them, a former detective has warned. Rav Wilding said officers check sellers' bank accounts after raids and contact customers whose payments turn up. Owning the device is legal, but using it to watch premium content without paying is a crime.

Table of Contents

What Happened

On BBC Morning Live this week, Wilding explained how the enforcement works in practice. Police forces go after distributors and sellers first, then examine the accounts behind those businesses. The payments show who bought a device and who renewed an illegal subscription, which gives investigators a route to the customers themselves. He said buyers should “possibly expect a conversation or two” if officers want to know what the money was for.

The devices in question are ordinary Amazon Fire TV Sticks that have been modified, jailbroken or sideloaded with unauthorised apps, custom media players such as Kodi, and illegal IPTV subscriptions. They are usually sold through social media, online marketplaces or independent dealers for a one-off fee of £30 to £100, often with a 12-to-24-month subscription attached. The crackdown is co-ordinated by the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) with police forces across the UK, and Wilding said raids are prompted by internet service providers and broadcasters such as Sky.

Key Facts

Up to 4 million people or households in the UK are estimated to own these devices, Wilding said.
Police target distributors and sellers first, then work through their bank records to find customers.
Identified buyers could be contacted by police and asked to explain their payments.
Owning an Amazon Fire TV Stick is legal. Using it to access unauthorised premium content is a crime.
Loaded sticks typically cost £30 to £100, often bundled with a 12-to-24-month pirate subscription.
FACT's options run from cease-and-desist notices and “knock and talk” visits to full criminal prosecutions, chairman Kieron Sharp said.
Viewers risk fines and even a custodial sentence, while sellers and distributors face the toughest penalties, including prison.

What It Means

The weak point in this kind of operation is not the stream, it is the payment. A VPN can hide your IP address and encrypt your traffic, but it cannot erase a bank transfer to a seller, and it does not make an unlicensed stream legal. That matters for anyone who assumes a VPN turns an illegal IPTV subscription into a safe one. VPNs remain useful for privacy and for reaching a streaming service you already pay for while you travel, and that is the use case worth keeping. If you want live sport, films and TV without the risk, stick to licensed services, check your local laws and read each service's Terms of Service.

Related Guide

If you use a Fire TV Stick for legal apps and want to know where a VPN fits, our guide on whether you need a VPN for Firestick explains what it can and cannot do.

Source: Liverpool Echo – “BBC expert says now police getting ‘dodgy Firestick' users address from seller banks”.

This is a news report, not legal advice. Enforcement practice and device rules differ by country. Check your local laws and each service's Terms of Service.