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Couple in court: 4 million euros Sky fraud in the living room!
In the trial in Landshut, a couple is on trial for serious computer fraud in 4,611 cases. They are accused of illegally selling hacked Sky receivers, which cost Sky a loss of 4.4 million euros.
Couple in court: 4 million euros Sky fraud in the living room!
A sensational trial has begun in the regional court in Landshut that focuses on the machinations of a couple from Lower Bavaria. Sergej M. (68) and Valentina (70) are on trial for serious, collaborative computer fraud in 4,611 cases. The indictment accuses the couple of selling hacked Sky receivers between 2014 and 2019, which enabled customers to receive Sky's entire paid offering without a subscription. The couple is said to have caused a total loss of around 4.4 million euros for the pay channel, while they themselves earned around 539,438 euros from the sale of the illegal devices, reports World.
The allegations are serious: The couple ran an electronics store in which they offered 1,755 hacked receivers at prices of around 250 euros. They charged an additional 50 euros for software updates. A large number of customers also came back regularly to have the software manipulated again. The negotiations will extend over a total of 27 dates until the end of February, and nationwide interest has been aroused, as numerous witnesses have already followed, including investigators and Sky employees. A confession could get the defendants a reduced sentence, but so far they have remained silent, they said South German newspaper.
The scam behind the fraud
The manipulated receivers were not only offered for access to Sky, but also enabled access to other pay-TV services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and Telekom Magenta Sport. Advertising was mainly done through word of mouth; the receivers were known in the scene as “Russian receivers”. While Sergej was responsible for the technical manipulation of the devices, Valentina took care of sales and management of customer data. According to the public prosecutor's office, this is massive intimidation of the pay-TV market and casts a shadow on the providers' legitimate business models.
Cybercrime on the rise
The threat of cybercrime has been steadily increasing in Germany for years. It is estimated that 61% of the population has had personal experience with cybercrime. Fraud is often the focus, with the damage in private and business areas varying considerably. Like the platform Statista shows, 69% of companies in Germany now estimate that they are affected by cybercrime and are therefore experiencing a serious threat situation.
Given the growing problems with cyberattacks, the question remains how companies and individuals can develop effective measures to protect themselves against such threats. In view of the fraudulent activities surrounding Sky, it is clear that it is time to take decisive action against cybercrime. Because the Internet space remains a dangerous place for everyone who works in it, be it as consumers or providers.