Security News > 2023 > October > Pirate IPTV network in Austria dismantled and $1.74 million seized
The Austrian police have arrested 20 people across the country linked to an illegal IPTV network that, between 2016 and 2023, decrypted copyright-protected broadcasts and redistributed them to thousands of customers.
The piracy ring operated on a hierarchy of suppliers, who decrypted and supplied TV signals, and resellers, who bought access to the signal for up to $50/year and resold it to end customers for up to $200/year.
Although the operation was briefly promoted through Facebook advertisements, customers were reached primarily through 'word of mouth,' with many customers turning into resellers in a pyramid-like expansion.
The police's announcement says 15 resellers and three suppliers were identified in Austria.
Each of the resellers had between 300 and 2,500 customers, who paid them an annual subscription to access the illegal broadcast.
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