Cops raid homes and businesses in swoop on gangsters churning out shady TV cards wort

It is believed that some gangsters are raking in up to £250,000 a month as part of the scam as Police begin raids.

POLICE raided homes and businesses across Scotland yesterday 
to target gangsters selling dodgy TV subscriptions.

The trade in cloned Sky and Virgin Media viewing cards is worth millions to the crooks. One kingpin is believed to be raking in £250,000 a MONTH.

And while some may see it as a victimless crime, Police Scotland insist it’s nothing of the sort.

They say the crooks take millions from the pockets of legitimate 
businesses, harming 
their ability to make the programmes we enjoy.

And they warn that 
cash made from “card-sharing” scams can be used to fund other crimes.

Police struck a blow against the crooks early yesterday morning by raiding 12 addresses in Glasgow, Motherwell, Hamilton and Airdrie.

More swoops were staged in Dundee and Livingston.

The target addresses were found on a computer seized from a suspect in the west of Scotland last year. Police also found £40,000 in cash at the man’s home and £70,000 in his bank account.

Detective Inspector Graeme Everest, of the Organised Crime and Counter Terrorism Unit West, briefed the raid team in the gym at 
Motherwell police station before they set out.

He told them: “We’re looking for anything 
to do with Sky, Virgin Media, computers and, obviously, cash.”

A flat in Motherwell was first to be hit, just after 7.30am, where a sleepy woman let the officers in.

The next target was the Rutherglen home of a man who runs a satellite and aerials business.

He showed police an outhouse at the property while other officers searched his home. A laptop was seized.

The team then searched the suspect’s business base on the south side of Glasgow, which advertises “European and Eastern Language Channels”.

Nine other addresses were hit, and Mr Everest was happy with his 
day’s work.

He said: “We’ve managed to disrupt a significant crime group.

“We’ve seized a large amount of computer 
hardware and technology which will be analysed.”

Mr Everest admitted: “It is a type of crime most people would regard as victimless.”

But he added: “Make no mistake, the amount of money being lost by broadcasters is on a large scale.

“These people could offer a £900 subscription to one of the major 
broadcasters for £100.

“It’s obviously very tempting for people to take the bargain but they must be aware their money is going towards a fraudulent scheme and they may well have a visit from police.

“The money might well be used to fund other crime, so people need to be aware of that.”

The raids followed a year-long investigation into card sharing, run in partnership with FACT, Sky and Virgin.

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/n…-businesses-swoop-6045876

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the noose is tightening

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I notice FACT have now added it to their news section this morning.....

Police Scotland and FACT take co-ordinated action against alleged TV subscriptions scam

Posted on July 13 2015
A number of addresses in Scotland were searched on Friday (10 July) by officers from Police Scotland, assisted by the Federation Against Copyright Theft, in relation to suspected Intellectual Property crime and fraud.

The search warrants were carried out as part of a multi-agency operation in relation to a wide-spread alleged ‘card sharing’ or ‘control-word sharing’ scam as well as the sale of set-top boxes allowing illegal access to subscription pay TV services, sports content and movies.

Detective Inspector Graeme Everest, Police Scotland, said:

“This was an intelligence led, multi-agency operation between Police Scotland and partners including FACT. Officers have been working on this enquiry for over a year. It relates to alleged intellectual property theft, most notably alleged organised illegal activity and involvement in what is known in the industry as ‘card sharing’ or ‘control-word sharing’ (CWS). This essentially is a method that allows protected encrypted television broadcasts to be viewed without a valid subscription to the broadcast provider.

“For example, these people could offer a £900 a year subscription to one of the major broadcasters for £100 a year. It’s obviously very tempting for people to take the bargain but they must be aware that their money is going towards a fraudulent scheme, and they might well find themselves having a visit from police or other authorities. Money from such activities might well be used to fund other crime, so people need to be aware of that. This is, without doubt, a form of organised crime.

“Industry experts predict that the scale of this type of crime could be costing broadcasters millions of pounds each year.

“From today’s operation, we’ve managed to disrupt a significant crime group. We’ve seized a large amount of computer hardware and technology which will be analysed by our detectives with assistance from FACT. We’ll then report our findings to the Crown Office.

“It is a type of crime that most people would regard as victimless but make no mistake, the amount of money which is being lost by broadcasters is on a large scale, and Police Scotland will continue to work with organisations such as FACT to tackle this type of crime.”

Kieron Sharp, Director General, FACT, added:

“Card-sharing scams and the sale of illegal set top boxes are of great concern to FACT and the companies we represent, especially those for whom a key part of their consumer offering is the provision of subscription television services, such as Sky, Virgin Media and BT. Piracy which involves providing unauthorised access to their services presents a huge risks to these businesses, which make a vital contribution to the broader UK creative industries.

“As today’s action in Scotland demonstrates, we are working in close partnership with our colleagues in law enforcement on addressing these threats and are committed to bringing those responsible to account.”

http://www.fact-uk.org.uk/poli…ed-tv-subscriptions-scam/