AMAZON Fire Stick owners keen to watch the upcoming Fury vs Usyk fight have been warned that streaming illegally could cost them thousands.
Millions of people are expected to tune into the fight – through legitimate channels and illegally.
But cybersecurity experts at Proxar have issued an urgent warning to those planning on streaming the fight illegally on 21 December.
“Understandably, many people are tempted by the low cost of illegal streaming, especially during difficult times,” said researchers.
“However, what people fail to consider is the serious cybersecurity risks involved.
“After all, illegal streaming platforms are usually riddled with malware that can steal your personal information and even allow hackers to access your home network.”
So-called ‘dodgy Fire Sticks’ come pre-loaded with software that allows owners to access premium content, such as Sky and Premier League, for free.
But experts have warned that this illegal streaming software might not be the only thing installed on your device.
“These devices may come preloaded with malware that’s specifically designed to steal your personal data or give hackers access to your home network,” researchers added.
“This can give criminals an open door to access your financial information, logins and other sensitive data.”
Once a hacker has your financial details, they have free reign over your bank accounts – which could cost you thousands.
The first Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk fight in May secured just over 1.5million pay-per-view buys through the DAZN app, ESPN reported.
However, at least 20million non-paying customers used illegal streaming apps to watch the fight, according to reports.
At the time, a spokesperson for DAZN said that work would be done to prevent illegal streaming.
After accessing your home network, hackers can access other electronics connected to the same Wi-Fi – including smart devices and even webcams.
Researchers continued: “It’s important to remember that sites may not be run by people simply looking to provide entertainment.
“In some cases, they are operated by criminals looking to harvest your personal data, steal your money or exploit your devices for profit.”
Illegal streaming can be delivered by a number of devices by one of the most common are 'jailbroken' Fire Sticks, which means a third-party media server software has been installed on to it.
The software most commonly used is called Kodi.
It can grant users unrestricted access to new features and apps the normal version of the device wouldn’t allow – but it is not legal to use in the UK.
But it becomes illegal when a box is used to stream subscription channels for free.
It is also illegal to buy or sell these modified devices which have become known as “fully-loaded” – a term that describes how the software has been altered to allow access to subscription-only channels.
“These devices are legal when used to watch legitimate, free to air, content,” the government said at the time.
“They become illegal once they are adapted to stream illicit content, for example TV programmes, films and subscription sports channels without paying the appropriate subscriptions.”
Some of the suppliers behind the ‘dodgy Fire Sticks’ have ties to organised crime.
Over 2.7million households streaming premium content illegally had their devices infected with viruses between 2022 and 2023, according to data from Walnut Unlimited and Industry Trust.
“It’s also worth noting that many illegal streaming services lack regular updates or security patches, leaving users exposed to a number of threats,” experts noted.
“Any devices running illegal apps are especially vulnerable to new threats, which can result in scams, fraud, and identity theft.”
The Fury vs Usyk fight is available to stream on the DAZN app and Sky Sports Box Office on 21 December at 10pm GMT.
