Legal warnings issued to suspected dodgy box sellers in Cork crackdown

Suspected dodgy box sellers in Cork are among 10 people across Ireland who have been issued with legal warnings as part of a fresh crackdown on illegal TV streaming.

Anti-piracy organisation Fact (Federation Against Copyright Theft), working with Sky, has served cease-and-desist notices on suspected dodgy box sellers operating in Cork, Limerick, Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Galway, and Laois.

The notices instruct those targeted to immediately stop selling illegal TV streaming subscriptions and services or face potential civil proceedings or referral to An Garda Síochána.

Fact and Sky said investigations identified the individuals and their addresses before the warnings were issued.

The organisations believe the services supplied by the suspected dodgy box sellers reached thousands of customers and warned that people using illegal streaming services should be aware their details could also be be identified and passed to authorities.

Fact investigation manager Nick Sumner said the operation is targeting every stage of the illegal streaming supply chain.

“Illegal streaming depends on a chain of people who promote, sell, and provide access to unauthorised content. This latest campaign shows that we will continue targeting every part of that chain,” he said.

“Resellers are often the direct link between illegal streaming operations and members of the public. They sell subscriptions locally through personal recommendations, social media and messaging services, while exposing customers to unreliable services and wider risks involving fraud, malware and the misuse of personal information.” 

 “The individuals targeted have been given an opportunity to stop their illegal activity. Those who fail to comply should be under no illusion: The next step could involve civil legal action or referral to the gardaí.” 

Series of actions 

The latest enforcement follows a series of actions taken by Sky and Fact in recent years.

Earlier this year, Sky secured a High Court order requiring Revolut to disclose names and addresses relating to 304 subscribers and 10 resellers connected to the illegal streaming service IPTV Is Easy. The company later sent cease-and-desist letters to around 200 people who had paid for unlawful subscriptions.

Last September, Fact and Sky also served legal notices on 15 shops and resellers across nine counties for allegedly selling illegal streaming subscriptions or devices configured to access them.

Matthew Hibbert, Sky's group director of anti-piracy, said the company would continue working to disrupt illegal streaming services.

“Illegal streaming is not a victimless crime — it damages jobs, drains investment from the Irish creative industries, and places viewers at risk. It also puts money into the hands of criminals. That is why we will continue to take action, alongside our partners, to tackle piracy and drive awareness of its real-world consequences.” 

The organisations also pointed to recent court cases highlighting the consequences for operators. In 2024, a Co Kildare man was jailed for money laundering offences linked to an illegal streaming service, while in 2025 the High Court ordered the operator of IPTV Is Easy to pay Sky €480,000 in damages, along with a further €30,000 fine for contempt of court.

Fact also warned that customers using illegal streaming services may be exposed to malware, fraud, scams and the theft of personal or financial information, while having no consumer protections if services suddenly cease.