Shutting Down International Signal Piracy Operation with Two Dozen Suspects Arrested
The pirating of TV signals, movies, recordings, and all content has been an ongoing problem for Toltec’s clients for many years. As long as the demand for entertainment exists, pirates will find a way to illegal copy and distribute this content. It is estimated that pirated streaming TV subscription services, is now a billion-dollar industry with large profit margins, and has experienced a dramatic rise over the last four years.
We generated hundreds of undercover personas, completed transactions utilizing all desired forms of undercover payment, and provided detailed documentation to the client.
The Challenge
An International provider of cable satellite service came to Toltec with a very large project in early 2019 that involved numerous pirates illegally distributing television programs.
This was already a trusted client partner of Toltec, but this operation was on a much grander scale. Having already unraveled the scheme of a particular signal pirating organization, out of Belgium, Toltec’s undercover agents continued to maintain contact with and source more information from this target.
The client then asked Toltec to begin conducting undercover purchases associated with this organization and over the course of six-months, over 500 pirated TV subscription services were purchased from signal pirates all over the U.S., Canada, and Europe.
The Solution
Toltec created and maintained undercover personas (including names, email addresses, phone numbers, and social media accounts), as well as, maintaining undercover payment methods (including cash, bank wire, money-transfers, Bitcoin, Visa, PayPal, and more).
We used these undercover operatives to purchase the pirated streaming TV subscription services, thereby identifying and verifying the individuals involved and their direct connections back to this criminal organization.
The Result
This led to organized raids in September 2019 by police in Bulgaria, Italy, France, Germany, Greece and the Netherlands that led to the arrest of over two dozen suspects. Law officers also seized hardware and shut down 800 internet sites used to re-broadcast channels.
Toltec was able to quickly and efficiently generate hundreds of undercover personas, complete transactions utilizing all desired forms of undercover payment, and provide detailed documentation to the client. Toltec provides the benefit of years of expertise and long established undercover account operations that allow all the clients to remain hidden, while obtaining the information needed to present to law enforcement.
